


Two Birds, a Crocodile, and a Little Bit of Everyone

by MyLifeInOneWord



Category: One Piece
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, My First One Piece Fic, Reverse Harem, Slow Burn, Yandere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 94,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28917246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyLifeInOneWord/pseuds/MyLifeInOneWord
Summary: [Yandere? One Piece Various x Reader]From the most feared pirates and warlords, to the powerfullest marines in existence, each and every one of them attempt to convey their undying love to you.Now what could go wrong with that?A LOT of things, apparently.If you aren't careful, you might start WWIII. And by then everything would have already been filled with chaos.This is a Yandere fiction, so just be warned. But just because there are Yanderes doesn't mean that all the Love Interests are. Maybe.Characters might be a little OOC, but I'm working on that.
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Reader, Akainu | Sakazuki/Reader, Aokiji | Kuzan/Reader, Bartholomew Kuma/Reader, Basil Hawkins/Reader, Boa Hancock/Reader, Buggy (One Piece)/Reader, Caesar Clown/Reader, Charlotte Cracker/Reader, Charlotte Katakuri & Reader, Charlotte Katakuri/Reader, Crocodile (One Piece)/Reader, Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante/Reader, Donquixote Doflamingo/Reader, Dracule Mihawk/Reader, Eustass Kid/Reader, Fujitora | Isshou/Reader, Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Reader, Gekko Moriah/Reader, Jewelry Bonney/Reader, Jinbei (One Piece)/Reader, Kaku (One Piece)/Reader, Killer (One Piece)/Reader, Kizaru | Borsalino/Reader, Monkey D. Luffy/Reader, Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates/Reader, Nami (One Piece)/Reader, Nico Robin/Reader, Page One/Reader, Paulie (One Piece)/Reader, Portgas D. Ace/Reader, Rob Lucci/Reader, Roronoa Zoro/Reader, Sabo (One Piece)/Reader, Smoker (One Piece)/Reader, Tashigi (One Piece)/Reader, Trafalgar D. Water Law/Reader, Usopp (One Piece)/Reader, Vinsmoke Ichiji/Reader, Vinsmoke Niji/Reader, Vinsmoke Sanji/Reader, Vinsmoke Yonji/Reader, X Drake/Reader, Yamato/Reader
Comments: 64
Kudos: 166





	1. A/n

**Quick Disclaimer:** I write very vulgarly (also because of characters who swear), so if you don't like that, then don't read. I'll also mention some sexual themes occasionally, but there will be no smut. Those are the major disclaimers, moving downwards are other little notices, not counting the fifth one. There will also be spoilers, so if you don't want spoilers than don't read. 

**1.** There's going to be a huge number of love interests; and because I love a lot of the older characters, I'm just going to tone all the ages by a lot. So let's just pretend that everyone's young and stuff. It's all good. I'll just elaborate on this a little bit.

So the admirals are like what, 40? Well in this book, they're going to be in their twenties. Same with Shanks, Mihawk, Doflamingo, ect. 

Scenes like Shanks meeting Luffy- I'm not going to say "Well that never happened" because, well, it did. Let's just say that the older characters just didn't age for a couple years (...or twenty Lol)

This totally doesn't make any sense, but like yeah, we're just going to go with it. I'm just not going to mention their ages very often.

**2.** Scenes and storylines will be bent to adapt to the reader's personality and how she affects the plot line. Nothing _too_ major should change. Besides the stuff I add at least. 

**3.** Y/n's personality is kind of... unique? Her moods can take a 180 if one of her phobias is present.

**4.** Characters are probably going to be a bit OOC, especially because it's a Yandere, but whatever. 

**5.** One last thing, I do not support the act of Yanderes in reality. Please don't try to find one. If you don't support this book or my others, then I understand. I've seen hate comments on other stories, and I find that rather saddening, but I can see where they come from. Even so, just know that I will continue to write as it helps improve my writing skills. 

Additionally, not all Yanderes will be dark, as I find characters such as Luffy to be weird if they were. Most Yanderes will be written based by personality, but not entirely.

Btw this story is also on Wattpad and Quotev. Just search up MyLifeInOneWord with either Wattad or Quotev and it should bring up my profile. 

I think that's it for this A/n. Feel free to ask any questions down in the comments. Thank you. 


	2. Love Interest List

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heyy!! This is the official Love Interest List. Don't see your husbando/waifu on here?? Feel free to request in the chat or send me a message!!
> 
> As I have stated before, older love interest characters are forever going to be twenty or something. Their ages aren't going to be mentioned unless I do it for comedic effect. Thank you!!
> 
> 2/10/21 Note: Secondary Love Interests have been added. These love interests are mostly for comedic effect/add tension to the story and may or may not have an ending. An example would be Caesar Clown. 
> 
> 2/15/21 Note 2: Familial Interests have been added. These love interests are purely platonic, and involve characters who are not part of the 'Love Interest' harem and see Y/n more as family rather than romanticizing them. An example would be Garp and Chopper. 

**Yonko/Emperor(s)**

Shanks

Kaido [Familial Interest]

Big Mom (Linlin) [Familial Interest]

Whitebeard [Familial Interest]

**Shichibukai/Warlord(s)**

Donquixote Doflamingo

Sir Crocodile

Dracule Mihawk

Boa Hancock 

Jinbe

Gekko Moria [Secondary Love Interest]

Bartholomew Kuma

**Strawhats**

Monkey D. Luffy

Roronoa Zoro

Vinsmoke Sanji 

Nami 

Nico Robin

Usopp

Franky [Secondary Love Interest] 

Brook [Secondary Love Interest] 

Tony Tony Chopper [Familial Interest] 

**Worst Generation (besides earlier mentioned)**

Trafalgar D. Water Law

Eustass Kid

Killer

Basil Hawkins

X Drake

Jewelry Bonnie

Scratchman Apoo [Secondary Love Interest] 

**Marines**

Akainu 

Kizaru

Aokiji

Fujitora

Smoker

Tashigi

Rob Lucci (he's technically a Marine, right?) 

Kaku

Coby

Monkey D. Garp [Familial Interest]

Sengoku [Familial Interest]

**Other:**

Charlotte Katakuri

Charlotte Oven [Secondary Love Interest] 

Charlotte Daifuku [Secondary Love Interest] 

Charlotte Smoothie

Charlotte Cracker

Portagas D. Ace

Sabo

Vinsmoke Ichiji

Vinsmoke Niji

Vinsmoke Yonji

Marco

Donquixote Rosinate (Corazon) 

Paulie

Page One

Yamato

Buggy (Because yes) [Secondary Love Interest] 

Caesar Clown (Because it'll be funny) [Secondary Love Interest] 

Perona

Jack

King

Rayleigh [Familial Interest] 

Kyoshiro

Vinsmoke Reiju 

* * *

_So yeah, we're going to be seeing_ _ **a lot**_ _of everyone._

_And yeah, there's a shit ton of love interests and I am going to die..._

Note: Btw I just counted them and there are currently 61 interests, with 54 of them being official love interests, the other seven being platonic relationships. 


	3. Reader Profile

Name: L/n D. Y/n

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Unknown. Possibly [Insert Your Sexuality]. Too much of a happy-go-lucky kind of gal to know (also because nobody had bothered to ask). 

Date of Birth: [Insert Your Birthday] 

Age: 17

Appearance: Whatever you look like, or want to look like. 

Origin: Found in the sea near Marine Ford by Garp. Consequently leading to her "adoption".

Lineage: Unknown 

Haki:

Haoshoku Haki

Busoshoku Haki

Kenbunshoku Haki 

Personality:

A kind hearted, bubbly girl, Y/n is very uneducated in today's norms. 

She can be very well mannered when it comes to first impressions (mostly because she doesn't want to embarrass herself), but if you catch her off guard, you might see her do something stupid. She's a child a heart, and absolutely loves sweets and tea. She has her own views on who she deems as good/bad. Most common view is the "don't mess with my friends or you're dead", but it seemingly fluctuates a lot.

To summarize, if you give her food/candies, she will love you and be your friend for all eternity. Very forgiving.

Y/n isn't exactly oblivious, as she is very observant as to what goes around her. She knows that mentioning things such as Mihawk's name or her relations with other big names would cause unnecessary problems. She's understanding when it comes to other's actions, and tries to understand people before engaging into combat, however, there will be people she cannot tolerate.

Being cooped up her entire life, Y/n doesn't exactly know much, especially when everyone around her wants to keep her pure, so when it comes to flirting and romance, it's not really on the Yanderes' side. Doesn't mean it can't change though.

Despite being kind hearted, Y/n can be very manipulative when it comes to certain things. She understands what an affect her personality has on others, and sometimes uses that to her advantage, especially when it comes to sweets. This comes in handy with negotiations and other important roles she has played in the past. 

Phobias:

Fear of the Sea

Fear of Sharp Objects

Fear of Loneliness

Fear of Heights

Odd Facts:

Drinks tea seemingly calmly in the most bizzare of situations, like- how the fuck did you even get the tea??? 

When she's pissed, she threatens people, flexing her power and authority. Y/n comes and goes because of her relations to other people.

Sometimes in fights, she gives her opponents a little innocent laugh that could send shivers of fear down people's spines (because she laughs is dire situations), and sits down, sipping on tea, spectating battles.

She appears out of nowhere and plops down on people's laps. 

She's a glutton, but eats politely when she's with other people. 

Abilities/Skills:

Precognition - future sight. Though helpful, it causes migraines, depending on how far into the future it is. In the past, she only received a few, but now with her hand cuffs on, they increased tenfold, leading to several times a day.

Element Manipulation - She can manipulate anything in existence, and there are currently no known drawbacks as Y/n hasn't used it much.

Sword Skills - She is very skilled in using a sword, if using a bokken counts lol like Gintoki

Atomic Manipulation - Can manipulate atoms (goes hand in hand with the elemental manipulation). 

Friendship/Relationship Skills - Easily makes connections that prove to benefit her because of her oddness and innocence. (Leads to her role on the Strawhats)

Innocence - Her innocence is a weapon in itself. Nobody will think that cute little Y/n was a spy or something.

Analytical Skills - Her skills of analyzing data and information makes her a very valuable asset. She is also very intelligent despite the way she acts, and can pick up on emotional hints quite easily. 

Manipulation - She can easily manipulate people into doing her bidding, especially when she acts (or is) vulnerable. It's possible for her to manipulate someone else to manipulate the person she's actually targeting. It goes to show how influential she is. 

Taste - She's very good at detecting flavors and ingredients when she focuses. This is incredibly helpful when their might be poison involved in food. 

Role within the Strawhats: She's the walking target. Aka blackmail material and informant because of all the places she's traveled and the connections she's made. People would literally _kill_ to have her.

Dream/Goal:

Previous goal: to be the greatest marine

Current goal: to be the most powerfullest so that she may help others in need


	4. Prologue

Rain pelted the window of the Marine ship as Garp gazed out the window. Sea water splashed onto the deck, spraying the already drenched crew. Seriously, how much longer was it going to take to get back to the base? The man let out a sigh. He also had to oversee the training of the three new recruits, each with their own unique personalities. 

Honestly, he just wanted a day off or a nap, was that too much to ask?

Trudging off the ship, he could hear the cries of shock and confusion of everyone around him. A blinding white light flashed behind him, casting him within a dark shadow. Garp whipped his head around, trying to discern what exactly was happening, but it was impossible. Was this an idiotic attempt to destroy Marine Ford? And yet with that thought, who ever was powerful enough to create that light might be able to take down the base. 

The light died down to an orb, as if the light itself was condencing into a solid spherical shape, floating within the dark waves in the storm. With every wave the distance between it and Marine Ford decreased, and Garp rushed down in an attempt to meet it. 

What exactly was this orb? Was it condenced light? 

A soft cry jolted him in his spot, and he spared a glance down at the waves to see an infant no older than one. His jaw dropped at the sight of the child, somehow staying a float and surviving the torrent of lightning strikes and-

**_BAM!_ **

HOLY SHIT. Garp thought, frantically looking in the ocean for any sign of the baby. When he found nothing, the truth hit him hard in the gut. ~~He jinxed it.~~ He could have saved that baby, and yet he just stood there like an idiot, letting it get struck by lightning. 

Was this how a Vice Admiral should act? Garp shook his head. He didn't deserve to be called such a thing. 

Something soft patted his head reasuringly, somehow sneaking up on him without him noticing their presence. Tilting his head slightly, he was met with innocent E/c eyes staring into his soul. He rubbed his eyes, shocked to see the baby he had just saw struck by lightning before him. 

This was impossible. And yet, when you're within the New World anything is possible, he supposed. Scooping the (surprisngly not wet) child up, another flash drew his attention back to the sea. A bright ball of light was zooming at an alarming rate towards the duo.

...he totally forgot about that thing.

Thrusting his hand out, Garp's eyes widened when it phased through his hand, crashing straight into the child, disappearing as though she had absorbed it's essence. The baby made no motion to indicate that she was hurt. She merely giggled, placing her small hands on the older man's face. Cooing, she clapped her hands, and a bag slammed into Garp's face. 

Picking the bag up, a small piece of paper fluttered down. 

_To whomever this may concern,_

_Take care of this child._

_Do not let her go into harm._

_If she were to fall into the wrong hands,_

_you will doom us all._

  
_As a small note,_

_her given name is L/n D. Y/n._

_Treat her with care._

Garp groaned. What did he just get himself into? He really should have been pissed, and yet the child before him just made his heart melt. Maybe it would be alright to adopt her as his grandchild. He gazed into the sky tiredly.

When did it stop raining?


	5. Restaurant of the Sea

**Chapter One: The Restuarant of the Sea**

* * *

Heels clicked upon the wooden floor boards as the figure glanced around the bustling restaurant. Your E/c eyes nervously wandered around, noting the lack of waiters, being handled effectively by one particular person. Blond hair and strangely familiar swirly eyebrows... the man was undoubtedly apart of something well known for you to have such a familiar feeling towards it. Exactly what that was was the question. You tensed up, when his eyes gazed into your own, raking down your body near the entryway. 

Master had spoken of people like him, men who only want women such as yourself to fulfill their _pleasures_. You remember how he would scold you about how you should be careful around men, especially when you were constantly surrounded by a certain _King,_ always coming and barging in when you were supposed to be training. At times he would even kidnap you, only to take you out to a nice restaurant or ice cream parlor. 

_He was certainly fulfilling his pleasures alright._

Whatever, you didn't really care. Besides, your Master didn't even bother answering your questions about what kind of pleasures those people even wanted. _King_ never did anything bad, and you trusted him. He was a good man after all, albeit intimidating with his muscular and lanky structure. _And_ the fact that he could literally destroy a whole island without breaking a sweat.

The waiter that you saw earlier was now before you, eyes turned into large pink hearts, and nose flaring up at the sight of you. You gave him a small, awkward smile. "U-um... hi?" When you've been isolated on an island with minimal social interaction, it's kind of difficult to interact with new people that aren't ones that you know.

"Hello there mademoiselle," he greeted sweetly, a noticeable blush apparent on his face. "Are you waiting for someone?" 

"Oh, um. Yes actually," you spoke softly, meeting his eyes. Disappointment crawled within his heart, but Sanji kept up a joyous facade. He didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. The young man began to guide you around the restaurant to an open seat, glancing back ever so slightly to see if you were following. He made mental notes about you, especially on how quiet and nervous you seemed to be. 

_Perhaps you haven't talked to much people?_

He pulled out a chair, ushering for you to sit. Sanji could feel his heart melt at your grateful smile. Just who were you? He couldn't stop thinking about you, even as he went to serve the other customers, always finding his eyes wandering back towards your relaxed form. You kept your hands on your lap, somewhat hiding the expensive gem engraved bracelets. The giddy smile on your face was enough to make even the coldest of people happy. 

You were so radiant. Such an enigma. 

His heart throbbed in his chest. This feeling was so different from the other beautiful ladies he'd seen in his life. 

_Were the two of you meant to be?_ He shook his head at the thought, pouring wine in the Marine Lieutenant's glass. You were just another female customer who came to his restaurant. You were going to leave soon. And yet a sliver of his heart kept repeating the same words:

_Love at first sight._

\---

The sea was a vast and endless place. And yet somehow, there are those who will always find their way. 

Hawk eyes scanned the horizon, slightly unnerved at the fact that he couldn't spot the boat. Worry and dread filled his stomach at the thought of the one person he cared about, drowning in the endless sea. They had to be alright, they had to be. 

There aren't many things the Great Mihawk is scared of. But if he had to name one, it would be you.

Well... not necessarily you, but everything that _could_ harm you. Oh god did you cause him such paranoia. The man was starting to regret every decision he made that lead up to this moment. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. You had to be safe, you were fully capable of defending yourself. 

...who was he kidding, you can't even jump in the damn ocean. 

Curse the gods for the storm. Curse that buffoon of a pirate for trying to kidnap you. 

At that, Mihawk frowned. Yes... speaking of that _pirate_ , he still hadn't quite finished him off, though the swordsman was sure that Krieg and his crew wouldn't survive much longer, especially being deprived of forty-nine of their ships and other resources. It wasn't like that man _didn't_ deserve it- oh no, far worse. 

Don Krieg should burn in hell and tortured to insanity for trying to taint your purity. And all those who follow should do the same. Rape was a word he so despised. Such a disconcerting thing of which only the lowest of low commit, something that Krieg was planning on doing to _you_. And the price of tainting something he valued, was non-other than death.

With all this stress building up, he just wanted to see _you_ , his _precious_ student. His gaze casted upon the Vivre card in his hands.

 _Oh my dear Y/n._ The stoic man felt his lips twitch into a small smile. He just could bear to be apart from you any longer. You, the cure to his loneliness. 

\---

You eyed the blond in curiosity, not minding the fact that he was currently beating up a Marine Lieutenant at all. In fact, that man kind of already had it coming. In the corner of you eye, you spotted a phoenix, and you let yourself smile. You nodded at him in thanks, to which he reciprocated and took off. 

_So they were here._ You could feel the excitement in your body, completely forgetting the fact that your waiter was currently beating up someone, until yelling from one of the cooks drew your attention back. 

"You again Sanji!" Ah, so Sanji was his name. "What are you doing to our customer?! Of all people, he's a Marine Lieutenant!" 

_Sanji is pretty strong then, or the Lieutenant isn't anything much._

"What is it you damn cook? Don't call my name as if you were my friend!" 

_They aren't friends?_ You frowned at that. Looking at the doorway, you noticed a few people standing there, watching the scene unfold. A girl with orange hair... moss head man with three katanas... and a pinocchio? 

You smiled. They looked like good people. You focused your attention back on Sanji and the sorry excuse of a Marine Lieutenant, opening your bag to look for a certain communication device. The bag opened, with a screen popping up, revealing all the items within. 

"No restaurant should treat its customers like this..." the pink haired man growled. You rolled your eyes at him, selecting one of the Den Den Mushi you owned. "I'll shut down this restaurant... I'll shut it down... I'll shut it down! I'll contact the government immediately, and..." 

"Then I'd better finish you off here then," Sanji spoke, teeth biting hard on his cigarette. 

_Oh dear._

"A stuck up asshole like you-"

"What are you doing?!" The other chiefs were holding Sanji back now, arguing at the fact that he shouldn't make the situation worse. You sighed at how immature the Marine was being. 

_I suppose I'll step in..._ You shivered. _Or not... social interaction isn't really my thing... oh well..._ You sighed.

"You're very immature." The voice was small, and yet it managed to shut the whole restaurant up. Sanji stared at you with widen eyes as you took a long sip of tea (or some other beverage, but preferably tea). There goes his perfect plan of being the perfect guy... He felt ashamed that you saw him that way. 

You gently rose from your seat, stepping towards the commotion. Fullbody watched you with hopeful eyes, happy to see that someone was on his side. You knealt down to his level, before smacking him across the face. Shock radiated around the room at what just transpired. "Fullbody, I could easily strip you of your rank at this very moment." 

Tears were in Sanji's eyes as he watched your form.

_You were on his side. You were on his side. You were on-_

Nami watched you in confusion. 'Easily strip you of your rank'. Did that mean you were a marine too? A high ranking one?! 

Fullbody asked the question that everyone was thinking. "W-what do you mean strip me of my rank? You're not a marine-" His face grew pale at the sight of you dangling the transponder snail in his face. "W-wwhere ddid yyou get that?" 

You chuckled softly. "I'm not going to tell you that. I'm just going to let you off on a warning, okay?" The joyful tone in your voice unconsiously sent shivers down his spine. Were you seriously that strong? What kind of authority did you have?! The pink haired man watched you in confusion as you tilted your head up, staring into the ceiling with a smile plastered on your face. 

Before he could question it, the ceiling broke, crashing down onto the floor. Two figures fell through, and you rushed over, opening your arms to catch the two, despite the vast difference in size.

"Boy, that startled me..." Gasps echoed around you, questioning what just occured. You thought nothing of it, meeting eyes with the strawhat wearing boy. His mouth fell open as he dumbly stared at you, and you nervously waved at him. 

"Y-y/n..." he mumbled, not believing what he was seeing. "Y/N!" He launched himself upon you, wrapping his appendages around your frame. 

"Luffy! It's good to see you too!" 

The people in the restaurant could only stare at you with 'what the fuck, you know each other' expressions. 

"I am very sorry for the trouble my captain has caused." You bowed towards Zeff. 

"He's your captain?" 

"Y-yes. I've been looking for him for a few weeks since I left my Master." You were feeling extremely nervous with all the eyes upon you. When it comes to standing up for other people, you barely have a problem. And yet when it comes to you, you can barely form a sentence. Wow. 

Zeff tched. "No amount of sorry is going to fix my restaurant." 

"I-I understand." You jumped at the feeling of a hand running through your hair. Meeting eyes with the owner of the restaurant, they looked soft and kind. 

"You have manners, I'll give you that much." Heat creeped up onto your cheeks, and you buried your face into your hands in embarassment. Sanji was currently glaring at the old man, something Zeff didn't fail to notice. A small smirk fell upon his lips before he strided over towards the Sou Chief. "Are you going on a rampage in my restaurant again, you idiot?" By now, the said man was really struggling against the cooks, desperately attempting to break free. 

"Shut up you damn geezer!" he growled in response. Knowing that those guys would be alright, you slipped your transponder snail that had a dog head into your pocket, eyeing the door. Some would say it was intuition, others would call you a psychic. It was really just a bond between a human and a firebird. 

Mostly.

Possibly.

Actually, she didn't really know. Maybe she really was a psychic...

"Lieutenant... Lieutenant Fullbody!" Ah, just in time. The bloodied marine stumbled into the resturant, clearly scared at what just transpired. You began to make slow strides towards the marine, seeing bits of the future, yet enough to make out what would happen. "Pirate Krieg's underling escaped!" Boy did he look scared. "After the seven of us finally captured him to get a lead on the Krieg Pirates..."

"That can't be!" Fullbody exclaimed, sweat dripping down his forehead. "When we captured him three days ago, he was close to starving! And we haven't fed him at all since!"

_How cruel. No one deserves to starve._

"Krieg Pirates...?" You glanced around as people murmured about the so called "Krieg Pirates" in fear. 

"They're said to be the strongest pirates in the East Blue," a man spoke up. Were these pirates really that powerful? They couldn't be as strong as _King_ or Master, especially when you've never even heard of them. Either that, or you've been living under a rock. 

"I'm very-" A gunshot rang behind the marine, and he yelped in surpise. Screams rang throughout the builidng as people rushed to get away. When the man realized he didn't get hurt, he looked up to see you smiling kindly down at him. "H-how...?"

"Are you alright?" God, your voice. He could listen to it for an eternity. 

"Y-yes."

"Good! I don't want to see people dying on me. Now..." You turned your attention towards the new comer, smiling gently up at him. The gun was now pointed at your face, but you weren't fazed by it in the slightest. Now if it were a sword on the other hand... "Um... please don't point something so dangerous. You might hurt someone." 

The man before you could only stare in shock at how he didn't seem to have hit his target. Did you have something to do with it? Who was he kidding, of course you did! Who exactly were you? He didn't even know that someone as powerful as you existed in the East Blue! But there was no doubt that Captain Krieg could defeat you... right?

He reloaded his revolver, pressing the point straight at your forehead. 

"Miss!" Sanji yelled, but was silenced by Luffy. Luffy knew that you were capable of holding your own, especially with how calm you were being. A little part of him itched to know just how much you grew in the last time the two of you saw each other, and yet he couldn't help but feel like he wanted to _~~murder~~_ pummel the man who was pointing the gun at your head. 

"You think you're so smart and strong, don't you?" The starving man spoke.

"Uh... not really. I just like to help people." And that was the honest truth. You made an O face, remembering something. You held up the small bullet in your hand. "Here, this is your bullet. I thought you might want it back."

"How..."

"Um... I caught it?" you said confusedly. "Oh! You must be hungry! Here!" You began to pull the man towards your table, even though he was still pointing the gun at your head, albeit more reluctant now. You pulled out the chair for him, and watched him as he just stood before you, feeling very bemused. "Uh... are you going to sit?" 

Why were you treating him so kindly? It had to be because he was pointing a gun at your head, it had to be. Who in their right mind would treat someone like him like this? He slowly took a seat, and you happily pushed him in, causing his heart to jolt in shock at how strong you were. 

The people around you could only stare at your anatics in a dumbfounded manner, causing you to feel slightly self consious. You shook it off, trying to play it cool. You wanted to help this man, and that is what you were going to do.

Sanji felt his heart lift at the sight of your confidence, and willingness to help the man before you. Even at the sight of a gun, you still wanted to help him, even if he was pirate, a Krieg pirate no less. Eagerly, he made his way towards the two of you, asking the man before you his order. 

You took a small sip of tea from your porcaline cup, humming softly as you stared at the man before you. "So what's your name?"

Sanji let his eyes fall upon yours, a questioning look within them.

"The both of you," you specified, despite already knowing the waiter's name. 

"My name is Sanji, madamoiselle."

"...Ghin."

"It's really nice to be your aquantances!" You were so excited. The two of them were some of the first people you interacted since the day you left to be on your own. Though you didn't exactly know how to communicate with them, you tried your best to have a good impression. "I've never actually talked to many people before, so this is kind of new for me..."

 _"Ah, so my suspicion was correct,"_ Sanji mused. 

"So what would you like to eat, Ghin? You can have anything you want! I'll pay." You craned your neck to look at Luffy. "Feel free to join us Luffy, and your friends too!" 

"Shishishi! I was starting to think you forgot about me!" Luffy laughed as he smacked Sanji's back. 

"Hey!" Sanji grumbled.

"Luffy, this is Sanji. You're looking for a cook right?"

"Yeah! You're right like always, Y/n!" 

"Well what do you think of him? I think he'd be a good crew member," you inputed. "He's very kind and gentlemanly. Besides, I see a future with him."

"Really?! Hey cook! Join my crew!" Luffy exclaimed. "Be the cook on my pirate ship!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I wonder if overloading myself with creating FanFictions really is the right decision...


	6. Realization of Weakness

**Chapter Two: Realization of Weakness**

* * *

"Eh? You're a pirate?" Sanji asked Luffy. You eyed Zeff in the background, watching the four of you interact with each other. When he noticed your staring, he walked into the kitchen. In another corner, you could see Luffy's friends looking rather hesitant in joining the four of you. You gave them a small little smile before bringing back your attention to the trio. The customers in the restaurant were going back to what they were doing, though on alert. You could feel their stares piercing through you, gazing at you as though you were an animal on display.

"...pirate too, right?" Ghin asked Luffy. "Do you have any goals?" Luffy smiled brightly, and you reciprocated it with veracity. 

"I'm looking for the One Piece. I'm going to be the King of the Pirates! And I'm going to make Y/n-" The strawhat wearng boy tugged onto your shirt, causing you to fall into his arms. "-my Queen!" Sanji felt a jealousy claw at his heart at what Luffy had just declared. So you were already taken? That can't be right...

You felt your face flush. "Luffy!" 

"What?" He gave you a confused look. "I told you I was going to marry you someday." 

"Yeah, but what about Ace?"

"That's his problem." 

"Luffy!" At that, your captain laughed, clearly enjoying your presence. He was truly elated to see you again after these years apart. You didn't change a single bit. Except for the melons on your chest, those were new. 

Ghin looked at the two of you in worry. He didn't want to see someone as kind as you die at sea. As he watched you laugh with your captain, he couldn't help but feel as though you looked strangely familiar. Had the two of you met before? He shook his head, that was impossible. Right? 

After shrugging off his concerns, Ghin realized something. "It seems like you only have a few members," he pointed out to the black haired male. 

"Yup, he's the sixth member," said Luffy, pointing at the chef.

"Why are you counting me?!" Sanji yelled, eliciting a giggle from you. He felt himself flush at the sound of your laughter. You sounded so pure, like an angel- his angel. It didn't seem like you had romantic feelings for the man you called captain, which meant that he had a chance. But he didn't want to leave Baratie, not yet at least. And yet he couldn't miss the opprotunity to have you within his reach 24/7. He wanted to protect you, to make sure that nothing comes to hurt you, taint you. 

"Since you seem like a nice guy, and you have Y/n as a crew member," You visibly brighten at Ghin's words, "I'll warn you. The Grand Line is the one place you should avoid. You're both young. There's no need to rush things." 

You gave him a confused look. Was it really that dangerous? It didn't seem like it...

"...if you want to be a pirate, there's an endless ocean out there."

"I see... well that's alright. I got Y/n here to help me. She's been to the Grand Line, _and_ The New World." 

The other two's jaws dropped. No way someone with an attitude and weak looking as you survived those two areas of the world. That was just... impossible.

"Luffy, you didn't have to tell them that..." you whined a little before sighing. "But yeah, I'll make sure we survive. Besides, you got us a navigator, right?" Your question was left unanswered because of the loud shout that echoed from across the room. 

"Hey you! Chore boy!" You watched as Zeff brought out a plate of steaming hot food. You thanked the man, secretly passing him a load of gold coins, causing his eyes to widen.

"Just between you and me," you whispered in his ear. "This should pay for the damage done to your ship, especially the future ones." 

With that, you excused yourself outside, leaving Zeff to think about what you just said. 

_Future ones, huh?_

\---

"Ah, so you finally decided to join me." You smiled brightly at the trio as they took their seats around you. By now, Ghin had already left on the boat, and Sanji was around taking orders. The three stared at you nervously at your demeanor, not trusting you one bit, but you knew Luffy, so that credited to some degree. "Is there something you guys want? I'll pay."

"Really?" Nami exclaimed. Free food? Now that was a steal, however she spoke concernly, trying to be polite, "You don't have to do that."

"No, it's fine! We're crewmates, so it's alright."

They watched you in shock at you sipped on some tea calmly.

"You're our newest crewmember?!" Usopp exclaimed.

"No, I'm actually the first," you corrected. "I'm first mate." 

"Then why weren't you with Luffy when he started??" inquired the moss man, eyeing you in suspicion. 

"I had training to do with my Master. He made sure to teach me what to do in emergencies, and all about ships and stuff. He doesn't seem like it, but he's a very kind and caring man. That's why I look up to him. Oh! And he's super strong." Nami felt her heart melt at the sight of you talking about something you were so passionate about. You were like a child, and it reminded her a little bit of herself when she discussed about her passion: cartography. 

Soon enough, you were aquainted with your new crewmates, learning their names as Zoro, Usopp, and Nami. Sanji made frequent visits to refill your tea cup, giving you small deserts and such. You nibbled on the piece of fruit you had, savoring each taste. 

"Ahh~ this is delicious!" you cried, causing Usopp from beside you to visibly pinken. You were so adorable and childlike, with an air of innocence around you. How did Luffy ever get you to join him as a pirate?

"Hey chore boy!" Nami called out, making you turn your head towards the staircase. 

"Luffy! Hello!" 

"Y/n!" he spoke happily, before his expression turned sour. "Ugh you guys..." He pouted as he saw his crew eating without him. You were about to apologize when your bag vibrated.

"Sorry, please give me a moment." You tuned them out, to Luffy's dismay. He watched you as you opened your bag up, staring into the screen before looking through the transponder snails. Nami stared at you in fascination. Where did you ever get such a bag?

Humming to yourself, you selected a sunglass wearing transponder snail. The said snail flew up and into the palm of your hand. 

"Hello?" you answered. By this point, the rest of the crew realized it would be rude to listen to your conversation, and began picking on Luffy again.

_"Fufufufu~ I was wondering when you would pick up."_

"Doffy? Is something wrong?" 

Zoro gave you a glance, however, wondering who you were talking to. The name sounded strangely familiar...

_"There was another meeting today, and everyone was there except you and Mihawk... Where were you? Everyone was looking forward to seeing you."_

The swordsman beside you stiffened. Mihawk? _The_ Mihawk, as in **The** **Greatest Swordsman**? How did you know such a legend? Just what kind of power or authority did you have?

"I'm sorry, but I was looking for my Captain. Didn't I tell you that a couple weeks ago?" 

_"You did."_

"Was this just another excuse to call me, Doffy? Wait- what did you mean that he wasn't there? He always shows up for meetings." Worry was etched onto your face as you dreaded the possibilities of what might have happened to your Master. 

_"Perhaps he's just busy, Y/n,"_ Doflamingo reasured you, though he was rather annoyed that you were most likely thinking about that hawk now. 

"I guess you're right. Well I have to go now." You were currently watching Zoro force feed Luffy with his booger water. You stiffled a laugh. "Talk to you later." 

_"See you later."_

"Kachank." You disregarded Doflamingo's little grammer "mistake", too busy laughing at the scene before you. As you did so, you became oblivious to the gears turning in the mossman's head, attempting to piece together just who exactly you were.

\---

Doflamingo grinned (more than usual), causing the others around him to question what was making him in such a joyousfull mood. He usually didn't enjoy visits to Marie Jois, but this time the blond haired man felt that luck was truly on his side. Oh, he couldn't wait to rub this in Sengoku's face. That Fleet Admiral would just hate to know that he just spoke with his "granddaughter", especially when he was going to go visit her.

Oh, this was just too good. 

"Fufufufu~" he cackled, strutting down the halls, before he began to frown. He slowed his pace, thinking deeply to himself. Mihawk... where was that bastard anyway? What did he have to do that was so important that he had to miss this meeting with the other Warlords? He couldn't...

A vein popped onto the Dressrosa King's forehead as he felt something twinge inside of him.

Oh he would.

He dashed down the hall, moving straight for the nearest window. Seeing Sengoku's agitated face was no longer of importance. No... if his instincts were correct, then he had more important matters to tend to. Oh how he would _love_ to rip Mihawk to shreds. How _dare_ he be the one to mentor _his_ Y/n... It should have been _him_. Wasn't he capable enough? He was so happy when you told him that your training with Mihawk had ended, but if Mihawk was going to be like this, then Doflamingo was going to have to take matters into his _own_ hands. 

A growl erupted from his throat as he jumped out the window, using the clouds as a source of transportation. 

He should have known it was too good to be true.

\---

You sipped calmly on your tea, yet a little irked that Krieg just kicked your soon to be cook. This man was going to die if he were to do anything else that were to make you angry. You felt your hands tingle, your braclets glowing, ceasing you from using your powers. Well, it wasn't like you could do much anyways, even if you were pissed. You could beat him up with your insane speed, but no matter how much you wanted to do that, you just... couldn't. 

You sighed as Patty shot his "Meat Ball of Doom" (which was basically a cannon ball) at Krieg. These braclets were a real pain. 

"You're damn annoying!!!" the armor wearing pirate shouted, revealing all the firearms he had on him. He aimed to shoot at the chefs, and you worried for their safety. Quickly intercepting each bullet before it hit it's target, you let out a breathy sigh. You felt so exhausted. This would have been so much simpler if you didn't have these stupid braclets on, but you just _had_ to try them on. 

How were you supposed to know they constricted your powers?

You stared at the ruins of the restaurant and all the screams from your new friends, questioning your life choices. Somehow, you were in the hands of the feared Pirate Krieg, who was grinning from ear to ear at the new "prize" he just captured. Welp, it wasn't like you weren't used to being kidnapped and such, but this was seriously making you uncomfortable ~~especially when Krieg was as ugly as fuck, and you liked being held by hot men~~. 

"I remember you..." he spoke, lust in his voice, sending shivers down your spine. "You were on that small boat, so _terrified_ and shivering like a little _kitten_." He slowly led you out side, facing the vast blue ocean and it's beauty. Devastating beauty. "I was going to _help_ you, before that storm and... _monster_ came around." 

You tried to remain calm, but the gaze he had locked you in terrified you. Was this what your Master tried to protect you from? Unconsciously, you began to tremble before him. He could easily overpower you, especially with the bracelets on and your exhausted state. You wouldn't be able to do anything, no one would, with you being held hostage. 

"Your trembling," he commented as you stared at the ocean. The ocean that once tried to swallow you whole.

How did you ever even get on this floating restaurant anyway? Especially when you couldn't stand the ocean. How could you forget? 

"Tell me..." Krieg whispered in your ear. "Are you scared?"


	7. The One Known as 'Master'

**Chapter 3: The One Known as 'Master'**

* * *

You didn't answer him, to which he chuckled. Hurried footsteps were heard from behind, and you looked back to see Ghin rushing towards you. When Krieg saw him, he roughly pushed you to Ghin, proceeding to lug the bag full of food. A sigh came from beside you as Ghin gingerly guided you towards the ship, causing you to glance up at him. He refused to meet your gaze, shame possibly at your current situation. 

"Y/n-san, I'm sorry." Ghin had seen the frightened look on your face, including the shocked and angry looks from your Captain and Sanji. Why couldn't he have realized it sooner? You were that girl on the small boat, drifting in the Grand Line. The one that his captain had set his eyes on. In Krieg's attempts, misfortune had fallen upon them, like a curse for attempting to lure an angel. 

"Don't apologize, I'll be fine," you reassured him. Were you that blind? How could you smile as if this were a normal occurrence, after what transpired? Doubt laced his features, and you grabbed hold of his tanned hand. "It's going to be alright- no, it will be alright. Put a little faith in me, Ghin." Tears were clouding his vision. 

You tilted your head slightly to the left, eyeing a little fire bird on the Baratie. A vision of the ship splitting into thirds was in your mind's eye. "By the way, I wouldn't get on the ship if I were you."

"Why?"

You gave him a mischievous smile. "Call it, _intuition_." With that, you left him confused, and you hummed, recollecting the events that had occurred only mere minutes ago.

* * *

**"Mere Minutes Ago"**

Krieg laughed as he shot down the chefs, relishing in their pain.

"Don't defy me! I'm the strongest!" he declared, irritated that the cooks had attempted to take him down. "Steel arms more powerful than anyone's... A wootz steel-made body that is harder than anyone's..."

You let out a small hum, listening to his speech, waiting for the dust to settle.

"-And a diamond fist that can destroy anything! I have all sorts of built-in weapons throughout my body, and a 50-ship large fleet and 5000-pirate force!" Alright, this was starting to get boring, hearing his monologue.

"...I am the man fit to be called Don!" he shouted.

"What does 'Don' mean?" you mumbled to yourself.

"When I tell you to prepare food, you do it immediately! Don't defy me!" By now, the dust had already settled, allowing him to survey the damage he had caused. Instead, it revealed a young woman of the age of seventeen, standing amiss the chaos he had created. Taking a good look around, he noticed that the chefs were in fact, not in pain, and that the young woman was staring intently at her hands. 

"What?!" 

"Why aren't we injured?!"

It seemed like everyone else had the same thought. You looked up to stare at Krieg with intensity, before aggressively rubbing your eyes in exhaustion. Oh boy did that take a lot out of you. You accidentally unfisted your hands as your rubbed your eyes, and the bullets from Krieg's attack all landed on the floor.

"Oh. Whoops, my bad." 

Everyone stared at you with a "wtf" face. About to pick the bullets up, a hand caught your wrist, causing you to look up in confusion. Don Krieg gazed into your eyes, the gears in his head clicking as realization dawned upon him.

"You..."

"Me?" You wondered out loud.

"Impossible- What did you do?" It was obvious you had something to do with the anomaly, but how was the question. Wasn't he, Don Krieg, the most powerfullest in the East Blue?

"Uh..." You felt uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze. "I caught the bullets?"

"You saved us?" Patty exclaimed in shock. A sudden sound made you turn your head to face Zeff, who had placed down a rather large sack of food.

_Huh, how did he even carry that?_

"There's probably enough for one hundred meals in this," the old man spoke, casting a small glance in your direction. He remembered your exact words, _"This should pay for the damage done to your ship, especially the future ones"._ Were you some sort of psychic? No human is able to catch bullets in a blink of an eye. A devil fruit perhaps? Even so, by your face, he knew whatever you had did had left you exhausted, and Zeff didn't want something terrible to happen to you. 

"Bring it to your ship immediately," Zeff spoke again, eliciting a chorus of protests.

"Zeff?" Krieg uttered out in shock.

"What are you doing?" One of the chefs cried.

"If we revive even those on the ship, our restaurant will be completely taken over!" 

"If they have the will to fight, that is," Zeff retorted.

 _Will...?_ You wondered what he meant by that.

"Isn't that right, defeated warrior of the Grand Line?" the head chef finished.

"Y-you must be Red Foot Zeff!" the East Blue Ruler said. "You're alive?!"

"Red Foot Zeff?" you said suddenly, causing everyone to face you, who was now comforting Ghin on the floor, to many's horror. Your eyes wandered over to the said male, and you spoke again. "You were an important person, Zeff?" 

"To many, I suppose I was," he said, answering your question. He tilted his head to face the armored man. "So what if I'm alive? It has nothing to do with you. As you can see, I live as a cook now." 

Krieg cackled loudly. "If you put it that way, it sounds nice, though rather than living as a cook, it looks like you can live only as a cook." 

You made a face. Did that even make any sense? Or were you just incapable of comprehending his sentence (which basically means stupid)?

"Red Foot Zeff was a master of kicks who never used his hands in battle. I heard his strong kicks were strong enough to break bedrock-" 

~~What was this, Minecraft now?~~

"-and even left footprints on steel. And Red Foot referred to your shoes, which were covered in the blood that splattered as you kicked your enemies down..." 

Alright this kind of sounded familiar... Who did you know used his legs to fight? You hummed to yourself. Doffy perhaps? Oh dear, your mind was wandering again. By now, you were already starting to get bored of his monologue, again. 

"...I've heard the rumor... how unlucky for you to have an accident at sea." Krieg grinned, and you were still ever so bored. How does this dude win every one of his battles if he monologues for this long? It just didn't make any sense. Did all antagonists do that? You hummed thoughtfully to yourself. You didn't exactly know any antagonists... ~~or did you?~~

"What are you trying to say?" Zeff asked. "Just come right out and say it!" 

Boring man spoke again. "You're the man who once entered the Grand Line and came back unhurt... There should be a logbook with the full year of your journey in it... Give that to me!" 

_Oh, so that's what he wanted. Why did it take so long to get to the point?_

"Whoa!" Luffy spoke amazed. "You've been to the Grand Line, too, pops?" The airhead laughed. "You know Y/n's been there too!" 

"... is that right?" Zeff eyed you curiously, before lifting his eyes back to Krieg.

"Y/n? Who's Y/n?" Krieg asked. 

"Her." Luffy pointed towards you, causing you to sigh at his actions.

"Luffy..." you whined. "You can't just keep telling people I've been to the Grand Line!" 

"Why not?" 

"Because it could be a liability!" 

"What's a 'liability'?" 

"Nevermind," you sighed. 

You felt yourself being lifted up by the back of your shirt, and your eyes widened. Your eyes snapped to Ghin, and he seemed to be watching you in shock as well. 

"So you've been to the Grand Line?" You were faced to face with the pirate, and you scrunched up your nose in disgust. His breath was disgusting. 

"Perhaps." 

"And you would know how to navigate it?" This was starting to feel like an interrogation. Oh wait, it was. 

"Possibly." You had to answer vaguely. If Krieg thought that you would be a valuable asset, you wouldn't be able to do anything. Anything to stop him from dying that is. 

"What do you say, care to join my crew?" he asked, whispering in your ear. Oh dear, it seems like he already realized that he wouldn't be needing the Log Book.

"Uh... no?" 

"Then, I'll just take you by force." 

"Okay- wait what- AH!" You yelped as he hoisted you up into the air, throwing you over his shoulder. You struggled for a bit, before calming down, seeing small glimpses of the future. Besides, it wouldn't do you any good for your blood pressure. Sanji watched with narrow eyes as Krieg deliberately placed his hand on your ass, and it seemed like he wasn't the only one. 

"Put her down," Zeff demanded, and Krieg only cackled. 

"It's true that I fell from the Grand Line," he began his monologue again. "Even if that's the case, I'm still Don Krieg, the strongest man. It's merely a dark sea route. To sail across it, I had enough power, forces, as well as ambition!"

You listened to him with knitted brows, only able to see his back. Your Master had neither forces nor ambition, unless you considered his rivalry and his sword skills, and he still sailed the Grand Line. Maybe it was because his power overruled everything else...

"The only thing that was regrettable was that I lacked information." Ghin met your eyes, and you gave him a small smile of reassurance, trying to help him calm down. It seemed to quel his shaking just a little. "I just didn't know things... But with this woman by my side, I'll be able to sail the Grand Line without a problem. And I'll form a large pirate fleet again and seize the One Piece. And then, I'll stand on top in this Great Pirate Era!" 

Zeff widened his eyes in realization. "You're going to use her as your navigator." 

"Hm.. yes, and perhaps a little bit... _more_." 

_More?_ That did _not_ sound good, and you didn't even know what that meant. Fish bait?

The sound of walking caught your attention, and you tried to wiggle around to see who it was. It sounded like flip flops, and the only person who wore flip flops at the moment was non-other than your captain. 

"Hold on a second!" Luffy wore a pissed expression. "I'm the one who's gonna be King of the Pirates!" Yup, definitely Luffy. "And you just can't take my First Mate without my permission!" You couldn't see it, but you could tell that Luffy was definitely pissed. Whether it was that this man was kidnapping you, or just declared that he was going to be the Pirate King, you didn't know. Perhaps both. 

Sanji silently agreed with Luffy. About the taking you without permission, not about the Pirate King stuff. All his mind could focus on was you, and he was already pissed as it is. Nobody should take advantage of a beautiful lady, especially if it was one like yourself (*cough is yourself). 

"Hey, back off chore boy!" Patty shouted, holding some sort of pitchfork. "You're no match for him!" 

You frowned. _I think it's the other way around..._

"I can't back off on this, especially when my First Mate is in danger. Right Y/n?" You caught a glimpse of his expression, seeing that he was frowning as he stared at you. The two of you met eyes, and you quickly replied, "Of course." Why wouldn't you agree? Of course you would want someone to help you when in danger. 

"This isn't a game." Krieg's grip on you tightened. 

"Of course not. I'll conquer the Grand Line." You stifled a laugh how Luffy was easily agitating your current captor. Luffy took notice of it, and let a grin replace his frown. He shouldn't be so angry about this, he knows that you'll be alright, you weren't exactly weak, and yet there was this nagging feeling that something was wrong. It wouldn't matter though, he would get you back. ~~Even if he had to get his hands dirty.~~

"It's true that we didn't have information, but a fleet with 5,000 men was wiped out in just seven days!" Krieg shouted in frustration. By now, Ghin was shaking badly, and you wished you could be beside him. You knew what this was. Trauma. It was something you were familiar with. Whatever they encountered must have been serious. You mildly shook your head. **Who.**

"There's no way someone like you can sail across it, even with the help of your 'First Mate'!" 

The cooks were shook at his exclamation. 

"Seven days?" Patty exclaimed. 

"Krieg's pirate ships were wiped out in just seven days?!" 

_That's what he said._

"Unfortunately, I don't find those kinds of jokes funny." 

"But it's not a joke," you mumbled. A harsh slap caused you to tense up, feeling pain blossoming across your rear. Did he... did he just slap you? 

"You aren't allowed to speak to your Captain that way." 

_But you aren't my Captain_...

"Hey, you can't do that!" Luffy voiced everyone's current thoughts. 

"You can't tell me what to do." 

Luffy held up his fist. "I'll make you." Krieg lifted you so that he was now carrying you bridal style, allowing his weapons to come out of his armor. 

"Gonna fight, Luffy? Need a hand?" a voice called, and you traced it back to moss man, standing with Usopp on the staircase. His eyes flickered to your form, and you smiled brightly at him. He averted his eyes as he felt a heat come across his face, and Sanji took notice of it with narrowed eyes.

 _"Just how much competition did he have?"_ were Sanji's thoughts as Usopp added shakily, "I-If you don't need help, though, th-that's fine too..." 

"Zoro! Usopp! You stopped by?" Luffy spoke in confusion. You waved eagerly at the two, to which only Usopp reciprocated, before you hand was restrained by Krieg. You gave him a disappointed look, causing Krieg to stare at you in bewilderment. You were strange. Normal people didn't act like you, then again, if you survived the Grand Line, then you weren't exactly normal, perse. 

"Don't worry, I got this!" your captain exclaimed. To be honest, Luffy kind of wanted to save you by himself. 

"Ye-yeah?" If possible, Usopp's stuttering got worse. "But if you say so, what can we do... B-but if push comes to shove, we'll help you. S-s-so, g-good luck!" You gaped as Zoro smacked the sniper with is katana, sending him tumbling down the stairs. "What'd you do that for, Zoro?!" 

"Shut up! Just keep quiet! Our First Mate is with the enemy right now." 

Krieg let out a loud laugh, and you swore you were going to go deaf if he laughed any longer, especially when you were so close to him. "Are they your crew members? That's quite a small group you got!" 

"What are you saying?! I've got two more!" 

"Hey! You counted me, didn't you?!" Sanji yelled, albeit half-heartedly. He was starting to consider his choice, mostly to be close to his love. He met eyes with you and he swore his heart melted. 

"I'll deal with you later. I'll go feed my underlings." He lugged the bag over his shoulder. "Those who don't want to die can abandon the restaurant and escape. All I'm after is this ship, and the logbook as a small bonus." Krieg began to walk away, and you met eyes with Luffy. "But if you want to stay, then I'll bury you into the sea." You shivered at his threat, and hoped that wasn't going to be you anytime soon. 

And thus you ended up in your latest predicament.

\---

Your gaze was upon the ocean, with it's vastness and unpredictability. 

Was that why you feared it? Because it was unpredictable?

Or was it the trauma that still lingered within the confines of your mind?

You were truly strange in Ghin's eyes, and yet that was what made you special. You personality was so odd for a pirate that it caused him to be drawn towards you. Just what made you so confident? What gave you such a smile? Was it your captain? You had such an ability to soothe that even after the fear in your eyes, you were still able to keep him calm. You weren't pirate material, and yet at the same time, you were. Ghin carefully made sure you weren't going to be tripping anytime soon as your gaze was on the sea, especially after being threatened by Sanji earlier. God that was traumatic. 

"Say Ghin, what kept you?" By now, Krieg was far enough away for the two of you to have a conversation, so you decided to break the silence. He started to shake again, and you widen your eyes. "Oh no! You don't have to tell me if you can't!" Ghin shook his head. 

"No, you have the right to know, after all, I told your crew mates." You met his eyes, concerned.

"You told everyone at Baratie?" He nodded his head.

"The reason that-that we had only lasted for seven days was because of one man." He swallowed thickly, and you patted his back in reassurance. "I-I..." 

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me." 

You heard war cries, and stared ahead, seeing that Krieg's crew were already charging towards Baratie. Laughter coming from none other than Krieg echoed around, and your heart practically stopped as he jumped from the ship, landing beside you.

"Hello there, _navigator_." He pulled you towards him, encasing a hand around your small neck. Ghin opened his mouth as if to protest, but was silenced by the threatening glare from the Ruler of the East Blue.

You froze as you felt a familiar presence, and you rapidly whipped your head towards the source, but Krieg's hand was preventing you from doing so. You felt fear, fear for not of your life but of the wrath of a warlord. Yes, even though you knew small snippets of the future, it still doesn't change the fact that it still shocked you. Especially when you don't know the motive behind the actions. 

The appearance of Mihawk, was not something you had foreseen, however. 

The ship instantly broke apart into pieces and you felt a shiver go down your spine. Such clean cuts on such a large vessel (hah, get it?)... You fell to the ground as the broken ship caused waves to form, and your fear spiked. The water- it was getting closer. No. You were getting closer to the water!

You gasped as you looked behind you to see Ghin panicking as well, trying to get you away from his captain. You could hear your heart thundering in your ears. You didn't want to. The water. 

It scared you.

Krieg stood there planted in both fear and shock, unwilling to let go. His grip on your throat tightened, and you stared desperately at Ghin, mouthing the word _go_. Reluctantly, he rushed back, towards the main ship in one piece, and was met with the cooks and your crew mates. 

"Where's Y/n?" Luffy asked desperately, frantically searching around, before he spotted you beside Krieg, a bit too close to the water than you would have normally liked. Luffy widened his eyes. "Y/N! DON'T WORRY!" he shouted, albeit slightly panicking.

Thalassophobia - fear of the sea. One of the many phobias that you possessed, one that Luffy knew all too well. That day was not pleasant, and had taken nearly weeks for you to calm down, and another month before you're night terrors had dwindled. 

In his heart, Luffy knew it was selfish. Selfish that he made you apart of his crew despite knowing this. But that was just Luffy. He was selfish. Selfish when it came to the things he loved and enjoyed. 

"Luffy, what's wrong?" Zoro asked worriedly. Why was Luffy getting so worked up with you within Krieg's grasp again? He wasn't too agitated earlier. So what made this time different? His eyes wandered to the siloute within the mist, and his jaw slacked. 

"Y/n's afraid of the ocean! I have to save her!" Luffy cried, attempting to jump off the railing, before being held back by Patty. 

"Are you crazy?" the chef exclaimed. "You're just going to make it worse!" 

"It already did..." Sanji spoke shakily.

"That man is..." Zeff trailed off, not finishing his sentence. A wooden boat made for one, the mast looking like a cross. And piercing golden hawk eyes.

Kreig's hold on your throat tightened as everyone watched as a man on a small cross boat made its entrance. His hawk like eyes flickered to your face, eyeing the hand around your neck, purple marks forming. He scowled, a murderous aura surrounding him.

"Is it possible... that's..." Zoro could feel sweat dripping down his skin. 

You coughed, throat burning. "Master?" The pirate captain was shaking beside you. You were his pupil? Oh god, what did he just commit himself to? Thoughts screamed in his brain to release you, but his nerve receptors weren't responding. Nothing could describe the pissed look on his usual stoic his face. 

Dracule Mihawk did not attack his fleet out of the blue, oh no, it was because he- Don Krieg -had sinned. He had committed an unforgivable act against The Greatest Swordsman.

**At that moment, he knew he had fucked up. No, he fucked up everything the moment he had set eyes on you.**


	8. The Starting of a Journey and the Meeting of Allies Part One

**Chapter Four: The Starting of a Journey and the Meeting of Allies Part One**

_(The next two chapters are mainly flashbacks to when you were looking for Luffy. It is during this journey here that you got to meet a few Yanderes.)_

* * *

Mihawk felt hot. Rage bubbled within him as he could see his student helplessly within the grasp of a low ranking pirate. He was pissed. Pissed that you were being held captive by the pirate, and that you couldn't doing anything. A shimmer caused him to gaze at the jewelry that hung on your wrists.

He should have taken you back the moment you had put those on. 

The swordsman tried to breathe calmly, but it couldn't quite quell the burning rage within him. 

How did it ever come to this, really.

* * *

**_A couple weeks ago..._ **

"Goodbye Master!" Mihawk watched as you waved eagerly at him, sitting on the larger than normal fishing boat. It was packed with all the necessities- food, water, a kitchen, a bathroom- and at this point it didn't feel like a fishing boat. Perhaps Mihawk over did it just a little bit, but it _was_ for a good cause. Your safety will always be his number one priority. A stray wave splashed against the side of the boat, and you screamed, nearly toppling off the edge. Your Master sighed, limbs twitching in nervousness. He would have caught you if you fell, but he knew that he should let yourself be a little bit more independent. 

The Greatest Swordsman didn't say this very often, but he was scared. Scared that you were going to die to pirates or some other creature.

He stood at the edge of the island, watching you as you wrestled with the sails. You were definitely going to die, not by pirates, but by your stupidity and clumsiness. Oh right, and your naiveness (is that even a word?). After a painstakingly long time (to which he cringed), you had managed to bring the sails down, and you rushed to the steering wheel.

"Do you have the money I gave you?" he asked before you could leave.. 

"Yup! It's all in my bag-" You looked around in confusion, seeing that your bag was nowhere in sight. A caw made the two of you look up, and your bag was dropped on your face. Or would have, had you not caught it. You grinned up at your Phoenix friend who settled next to you, towering above you by a couple feet. 

Your Master watched as you conversed (somehow) with your Phoenix, a sigh escaping his lips. The Phoenix didn't exactly have a name, so he was mostly referred to as what he was- a phoenix. Phoenix wasn't exactly what you would imagine, unless the phoenix in your mind was seven feet tall, with a wing span of twenty. Honestly, it was a shock when he had kidnapped you that day- god, that day was by far the strangest thing that had ever happened to Mihawk, because that day was the day he had met you.

But that was irrelevant at the moment. 

"Goodbye for real, Master! See you next time!" And with that, you were already on the move, commanding the salty water that you hated to your will, sending you away from Kuraigana Island. Phoenix had morphed into a smaller version of himself, nestling on your shoulder, and Mihawk reassured himself you would be fine. 

He tried to at least. 

He didn't make impulsive decisions. Everything was always planned and calculated beforehand, but when it came to you, everything felt like one. Rushing towards his own boat, he quickly pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket. Your vivre card. In the distance, you were already getting farther away, and he wouldn't be able to find you if he didn't have it. Hopping in his boat, he set sail, sailing after you.

\---

It had been a few days since you had left Mihawk, and boy had it been a terrible few days. Surrounded by something you feared was certainly not enjoyable. And when you easily got lonely, it made everything a lot worse as everything went by so slowly. You hated being alone, which was why Mihawk usually took you wherever he went. Except for that one time. On that fateful day, he came home to see a nightmare. But he had made sure to help you with your fear, and now you could deal with it a little better. At least you have Phoenix with you now, who was taking a nap on the deck.

In the distance was a small island, and you sighed in relief. No more ocean for you, that was for sure. You stuck your shaky hands into the sea, scrunching up your face at the feeling. Who knows what kinds of fish would love to bite your hand off?

Quickly commanding the waters, you skid across the waters, the island getting bigger by the second. 

Land was so much better than the ocean. There weren't any unknown variables, and if you encountered trouble, then you could always deal with it. The ocean, on the other hand, was unpredictable. With strange weather patterns, especially within the Grand Line, it was a miracle that you didn't encounter a storm. 

The boat slowed to a stop as you pulled your hands away, fearful when something had brushed against it, and you rubbed it onto a towel you had nearby. You knew you shouldn't be a pirate if you had such a phobia, but you had promised Luffy that you would be his First Mate, but that was before everything had happened. Still, you didn't want to let him down. He was so happy when you consented to it, though a few other males weren't as pleased. 

Jumping out of the boat, you slammed yourself into the sand. 

"Oh land, how I missed you!" You shot up instantly when you heard a deep chuckle. Quickly dusting yourself off, you met the person who had graced you with their presence. He had bright red hair, reminding you of fire. Goggles rested upon his forehead, indicating that he probably worked in mechanics. On his back was a maroon fur coat, reminding you of a certain flamingo. The most interesting part of him was his purple lips, and that he had no eyebrows. 

Overall, he looked familiar. 

"Ha..." You chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of your head sheepishly. "I'm not a big fan of the sea..."

He laughed. "And yet here you are. Tell me, what is a beautiful lady like you sailing the seas by herself?" 

"I'm just looking for my Captain. I'm taking a small rest on the island." 

"You're Captain? Someone as weak looking as you is a pirate? Or are you a marine?" He grinned evilly. "If you are, I might have to kill you." 

"I don't think you'll be able to kill me, but I'm a pirate. I used to be a marine, but that doesn't count, does it?" You could see his eyebrows twitch.

He began to stalk closer to you, holding a hand out. You could sense objects being lifted from the ground. "So let me get this straight, you betrayed the marines just so you can be a pirate? And now you have the audacity to claim that you're stronger than me? I bet you don't even have a bounty." The red haired man cackled. "I think I'm going to kill you." 

You jumped as objects were launched towards you from behind, and you widened your eyes as one of the items was your backpack. The backpack opened, and a barrage of coins and weapons flew out towards your attacker, who didn't have enough time to dodge. Smacked by coins, and daggers, you gasped as a pool of blood started to form on the ground. 

"Oh my gosh, are you okay-"

"Repel." The weapons were all coming for you now. You made an "oh shit" face. 

What did you do when you saw them coming for you? You screamed at the top of your lungs of course. 

Aichmophobia - fear of sharp objects. Why the fuck were they even in your bag in the first place??? And why were you even training with Mihawk for if you didn't like sharp objects??? 

Plot Relevance. Duh.

Putting a hand up, sand launched upwards, creating a barrier, protecting you from the barrage. Making a small hole in your barrier, you peaked through, watching the man intently. "Please don't hit me with those... knives. I don't like sharp objects..." Your voice was quiet, and he almost didn't hear you. 

But he did.

His mouth parted slightly at your absurd request in the middle of the battle ~~that he started~~. "What? You just revealed your weakness to your enemy!" he exclaimed. 

"Whoops." 

" _Whoops_?! How are you even a pirate?!" He grunted, feeling the pain of his wounds. How did those stuff come out of your tiny backpack anyway? You instantly let your sand wall down, and rushed towards him. 

"Oh my gosh you're bleeding! Let me help-" 

"Get away from me, you damn woman." 

"But I can help you-"

"You're not supposed to help your enemy!" What the fuck was wrong with your head? Who in their right minds helps the enemy? 

"But I don't see you as one," you mumbled quietly, as you pressed on one of the tiny knife wounds, your hands glowing a gentle golden hue. 

At that moment, Kid realized something.

You were an idiot. 

He sighed. "How did you ever become a pirate?" You certainly didn't act like one. At least, acted like him who killed needlessly. You seemed too... what was the word? Naive? Innocent?

"I promised my Captain I would a long time ago." 

He made a face. "That was a rhetorical question."

"Well anyways, I'm L/n D. Y/n. It's a pleasure to meet you. You're pretty strong. What Devil Fruit did you eat?" By now, your hands rested on your lap, and the pirate realized that his wounds no longer hurt. Looking down, he saw that they were all gone. What kind of fruit did _you_ posses? He thought you had some sand fruit to manipulate the sand, but now you had healed him with your odd ability. You even had the Will of D in your name. Just what were you?

He gazed into your expectant eyes, and he found himself answering you. "...Eustass Kid. If I tell you mine, will you tell me yours?" God what was he doing? Conversing with you? For all he knew, you could be trying to get information on him. But when he gazed into your eyes, all he could see was your innocence. Kid looked away. There was no way in hell that you would do that. 

"Oh. I don't have one." 

"...what." The Pirate Captain's mind went blank as he processed your words. "WHAT?!" You jumped at his outburst, and he quickly calmed down. Wait, why was he calming down for you? "Sorry..." And now he was apologizing. "That's impossible. Then what was that display of power with the sand and healing my wounds?" 

"Oh, um... I was born with that." From the look on your face, it was obvious you weren't lying, but that was what made this all the more strange. Something about this situation felt familiar to him, but why? Kid was pretty sure he hadn't met you before.

"Really? Can you do anything else?" 

"Um.. I can control anything?" you quietly said. It sounded more of a question than a statement. 

"Anything?"

\---

You were now next to Kid, repairing the damage his ship took from a few marine battleships. The wood bent together, and pieces of chipped paint was starting to come back. Kid and his crew stared at your work in astonishment. The ship looked even better than the day they had gotten it, and that was saying something. 

Exhausted with your work, you toppled over, and Kid immediately rushed to catch you. 

"Ha... Thank you." You leaned against him, too tired to move. The red haired pirate stiffened as you did so, not used to the contact. When he hooked up with girls, they were never someone innocent like you, and he felt that making some sexual remark was something you probably wouldn't understand. He faced his best friend, practically begging him to help him with his situation. Killer merely shook his head, amused. 

"Oi. Get off of me." He roughly pushed you off, causing you to stumble to the ground. Killer shook his head in disappointment at his captain's choice of action, walking over to you.

"Sorry," you mumbled in response, before a hand was in your face. You looked up to see a large, muscular masked man, with wild long blond hair reaching down to his thighs. You eyed the hand before smiling brightly, gently grabbing hold of it as he pulled you up with little effort. You grinned up at him, and gave him a big hug- or a small one in your case as there was a clear size difference between the two of you.

You hugged Mihawk and Doflamingo, so you didn't see what was wrong with hugging him. 

He froze. Why were you hugging him? He thought for sure that you were scared of him when you were staring at his hand. He wouldn't blame you, you were so innocent compared to himself. He who had killed many, and still do to this day. And with his mask and bulky features, he was intimidating. Hesitantly, he let his hand go to your back, patting you softly, fearing that he may hurt you. He caught Kid's slightly annoyed expression, and Killer reluctantly let go. 

You were warm. Different.

"Thank you- Ah!" You yelped as your wrist was grabbed by Kid. He dragged you towards the market, and you confusedly followed him, not before waving back to his crew to the Pirate Captain's displeasure. 

Killer frowned underneath his mask as you were dragged away. Something tugged in his chest as you waved goodbye, and it felt... warm and pleasant, and yet watching you leave sent a small pain in his chest. Why did he feel this way? Was he worried for your safety? You were most likely not going to be killed by his best friend, that was certain, especially how possessive Kid was acting at the moment. 

Possessive... He felt a small twist in his stomach. Was he feeling jealous? Of Kid?

\---

"So... where are we going Kid?" The said male felt his face warm at the sound of your voice saying his name. 

"I'm going to get you something in return of your service." You widen your eyes in surprise, starting to protest, but was cut off by a stern glare. 

"Thank you!" You felt so happy and excited. Talking to people other than Mihawk and Doflamingo was certainly fun. Or maybe you just met cool people. You had to admit, you were nervous when you first saw Kid, but he wasn't so bad! In a way, he reminded you of Doflamingo. He always gave you wonderful gifts, despite your protests. You were truly blessed. You kept quiet as Kid lead you down the stalls, each one, you noticed, getting more costly than the last.

"Uh... Kid?" You were starting to get worried how expensive this was going to be. 

"What?" 

"What exactly are you getting me?"

"You'll see." After a little bit more walking, he paused, turning his head to look at you. Releasing your wrist, he pushed you to a jewelry stand. You stood there in shock. Everything was so expensive...

"Why don't we go look somewhere that's uh... not so expensive?" Kid paid you no attention as he hummed, looking at the jewelry. He paused at two matching bracelets, composed of valuable metals and gems giving it a rainbow glow. It was beautiful, just like you. 

"I'll take this one." 

After he paid for the bracelets (he'll steal the money back later), he slid the bracelets on your wrists. He chuckled at your awestruck face, holding your wrists to get a closer look.

"Wow..." You gave Kid a hug, to which he instantly reciprocated. "Thank you." You released him, and grabbed your bag. Selecting a sheet of paper, you grabbed it as it materialized, and you ripped a piece off. Scribbling your name on it, you handed it to Kid as the two of you made it to your boat, which was now moved to where his boat was.

"What is this?" 

"Oh, right. This is a Vivre card. It's completely waterproof _and_ fireproof, and it will always point to me. It's also known as the "paper of life", which shows my life force. You won't find this stuff in the Grand Line. They're only manufactured in the New World." 

Kid's jaw dropped. "You've been to the New World?! Does that mean you and your Captain-"

"No, my Captain hasn't made it to the Grand Line yet." You already what he was going to say next, so you continued. "The reason why I was in the Grand Line was because I had to do training with my Master. I get occasional visits from Doflamingo, and he takes me back to his Kingdom."

Kid made a "what the fuck" face. "You know one of the Warlords?! Who the heck is your Master?"

"Uh... Mihawk?" Kid looked like he practically just died from shock. "H-Hey? Please don't die on me." You shook him slightly.

He couldn't believe it. You? Someone weak looking like you knew two of the Seven Warlords (and possibly more) and even trained under one of them! You mentioned you used to be a marine- which meant that you held valuable information, including the skill sets and tactics of the Marines. Perhaps you even had information concerning the Admirals. You had to be one of the most important person in the world, and yet he swore he never saw a bounty for your head. 

"Tch, I wouldn't die so easily." He paused, wondering what question he wanted asked first. "Shouldn't there be a bounty on your head? You betrayed the Marines, right?" You gave him a look of confusion. 

"I never betrayed the Marines."

"You said you used to be a Marine. Obviously you would have to betray them to be a pirate."

"Really? I just asked Gran- I mean Garp if I could be a pirate, and he said yes." You thought back to that day. He didn't seem that surprised by request, considering the fact that his other grandchildren wanted to be pirates too.

"Yo-you.. what kind of life are you even living?"

"A very exciting one?" 

"Don't play dumb with me!" As the two of you laughed, you both failed to notice the pair of golden eyes following you, eyes narrowed.

\---

Kid gazed off into the distance, staring at the place where you had left. Clutching the Vivre card in his hand, he recalled the last words that you had spoken to him.

_"Until we meet again, Eustass Kid, Killer! Make sure you don't lose the paper! It is a sign of our friendship!"_

He huffed, grinning slightly. "Friendship, huh?"

"Captain." Kid glared at the person who ruined his me time. It was one of his crew, and he looked rather shocked. 

"What is it," he grumbled, getting pissed by the second. 

"You need to come see this." Kid shoved the paper in his pocket, and followed the man down into the ship. His subordinate stopped in front of a wall where everyone had been gathered, all adorning looks of horror and shock. The red haired man shoved his way, to what was causing all the commotion, and when he saw it, he too was in disbelief.

That symbol. Everyone knew that symbol. It was the mark of an old legend. 

He cursed. Why did it take him so long to realize?! The legend had been engraved into the minds of children since the dawn of time! It should be second nature to him! He ran his hand along the smooth grooves. A dragon intertwined with a phoenix to create a yin-yang.

It was the mark of the Ancient Ones.

\---

You panted, exhausted. Drying your hands on a towel, you laid on the deck. You didn't remember commanding the oceans taking this much energy out of you. Putting your hand up to the sky, you stared at the bracelet on your wrist. You didn't want to lose it, nor the other one on your other hand. You tugged on it, but it wouldn't budge. You made a frustrated face as you tried again. 

You shook as realization dawned upon you. 

It was stuck.


	9. Story Extra Number One - One Year Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mihawk leaves the island, only to return to chaos (event mentioned last chapter). Features Mihawk and Shanks.

**Story Extra Number One - One Year Anniversary**

_Note: Story Extras are just events that are cannon to the story, but aren't mentioned (usually). The lengths of the extras will vary, dependent on how important the details are. They'll be posted ever so often as little bonuses. They will not all be in order._

* * *

The sunlight filtered through your velvet curtains, and you opened your eyes slightly to stare at the ceiling. A yawn left your throat as you sat up, stretching your sore muscles. Yesterday was... not fun. Your Master was ushering you to wield his beloved Yoru, to which was a huge mistake on his part. 

No, nothing happened to Yoru. It's just, that you didn't feel that you were ready to hold such a _sharp_ and large sword. Did I mention sharp? You sighed. How long had you been training under Mihawk? It's almost been a year already, and you've barely accomplished anything. You weren't saying that Mihawk was a terrible teacher, he was actually very good at explaining things, but it was just that you were a very terrible student with _way_ too many flaws.

You groaned, pulling the comforter over your head. 

What did Mihawk see in you anyways? 

A loud knock on your door caused you to jump out of bed hurriedly, rushing to the mirror to comb your hair out. You looked around the room, not spotting Phoenix, and fear started to creep into the back of your mind. 

"Come in!" you yelled as you tried to look as if you hadn't just gotten up. Alas, Mihawk was a very observant man, and he knew very well that you had just woken up. His golden eyes narrowed at your slightly messy hair, and noticed that you were still in your nightwear. Yes he knew that you had just gotten up, not only because you looked like it, but the fact that he was in your room only a few minutes ago. 

Watching you sleep. 

"Master! Good Morning!" you chuckled awkwardly. "What brings you to my room?"

"You're going to be redoing your lesson from yesterday," he spoke, arms crossed. "I was not pleased with you running away again. If you do this again, I may have to reconsider you as my pupil."

You bit your tongue, wanting to retort that you felt that you didn't deserve to be his pupil (nor did you really had a say in the matter in the first place), but you didn't want to piss him off. He seemed to be in a crappy mood today. "Wait, you didn't say 'we'. Does that mean-"

"Yes. I will be leaving shortly. Red-haired has some things he would like to discuss with me-"

"You're going to go see Shanks?!" Your eyes sparkled, and Mihawk felt his eye twitch in annoyance. Of course you would want to see his rival, and that irritated him to no end. "Can I-"

"No."

"But-"

"No. As I have stated earlier, I was not pleased with your actions yesterday. You will not becoming with me." His voice was cold and harsh, and you flinched, staring at your floorboards dejectedly. "Do you understand?"

"Yes Master."

"Good. Behave while I'm gone." He opened the door, but paused slightly when he heard your small voice call out to him.

"You're going to come back. Right?"

He raised his eyebrow at the absurd question. "...of course..." With that, your Master left, and you watched his back with sad eyes, feeling a pang in your heart. You didn't deserve to be his pupil, you knew that and it hurt a hell lot. It hurt even more to see him walk away, even if it was only temporary. 

Autophobia - fear of being alone. 

You could hear the stairs creaking as he descended them, and it gave you chills. Your breathing slowly became heavier, so you moved towards your window, opening it so that you could get some fresh air and calm your nerves. It was going to be alright. Mihawk would come back. 

He wouldn't just... leave you forever. Right?

\---

"Oi, Mihawk! Where's Y/n?" Shanks shouted from his ship, looking down at the man.

"I left her by herself in the castle."

"You did what?" Shanks made an "oh my gawd" face, and shook the shoulders of his long time rival. Or one shoulder in his case. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE HER BY HERSELF?!" 

"I was going to get her something to celebrate our One Year anniversary together as you had suggested."

Shanks pinched the bridge of his nose. "You make it sound like you're in a relationship. But still- YOU IDIOT! YOU DON'T LEAVE Y/N BY HERSELF!"

"Why? She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Additionally, her clinginess is something that needs to be dealt with." Yes, if you were going to be a pirate then you must have a sense of independence, which was why he had did what he had done. It felt so wrong to see you nearly in tears, but it _was_ the right thing to do.

The red haired man sucked in a breath. Oh god Mihawk was dense. And he called himself Y/n's Master, yet he didn't know one her downfalls? Oh the irony. Shanks made the boi hand motion. "She has Autophobia. You're only making this worse for her."

"... I know, but I believe that leaving her by herself will be beneficial. Besides, Phoenix is with her. I do not need to worry." Shanks' gaze lifted to see the said firebird sitting on the ship's railing.

He pointed at Phoenix. "Yes, because this isn't that same bird," he deadpanned. Mihawk immediately snapped his gaze to see Phoenix giving him a mischievious look, to which he responded with a threatening glare.

"Shit." Shanks made a shocked pikachu face. Mihawk, ignoring his ~~idiot~~ friend, jumped into his coffin boat, and immediately set off, leaving a flabbergasted Shanks.

"Wait- Wait for me!- Actually don't wait, that's a terrible idea." 

\---

Mihawk slammed the door open to find you crying on the floor, under a blanket surrounded by your stuffed animals. A cold breeze made him immediately go for the window, slamming it down. You were going to get sick at this rate. The one day he leaves, that fucking bird was gone. 

Great. Just great. 

When he found that blasted bird he was so going to slice his skin off with Yoru, and prep him for dinner. 

He gently pulled the blanket off of your head, draping it over your shoulders, before cradling you like a baby. Hands caressed your hair gently, and you opened your eyes to spot your Master beside you, concern and guilt all over his face. 

"M-Master," you croaked out, holding him tightly, tears still leaking from your eyes. "I-I was-"

"I know, you don't have to cry anymore, my dear." You closed your eyes, your breathing slowing down. Leaning against his chest, he hummed softly, lulling you into a deep slumber. He smiled at your peaceful face. Picking you up, he headed for his room. 

He didn't think you'd want to sleep alone tonight. 

Setting you onto his plush matress, he covered you with his fluffy comforter. 

"Happy Anniversary, my dear," he whispered as he tucked you in, kissing your forehead.

"Caw." Phoenix sat on his nightstand, and Mihawk narrowed his eyes at his sudden appearance. It was as if Phoenix had a smug look on his face because he brought the two of them closer together. There was so many emotions swirling inside of him as he gazed at the fire bird, before he let out a sigh. 

"Fine. I suppose you will be eating well tonight."

Phoenix puffed out his chest, eyes sparkling.

What a mischievous bird.

\---

**Bonus:**

Shanks slammed the door open. "Mihawk! Where's- .. oh." 

A frown was on Shank's face as he watched you curled up against Mihawk's chest. His eyes snapped open, glaring at the man who could have woken up his pupil. Jealously filled Shanks as he watched your peaceful form, and immediately dove for the other side of the covers. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Mihawk hissed. 

"You can't hog her all to yourself!" The red haired man wrapped his arms around your torso, before immediately being slapped by you possessive teacher. The two began having a glaring session, fumbling around the bed. You groaned, stirring slightly, and the two men immediately stopped, fearful that they might have woken you up. 

Mihawk watched as you turned over to face Shanks, snuggling into him instead. The man gave a victorious smirk, and scowled. If you weren't sleeping, Mihawk would have demanded a fight, but he didn't want to leave. Wrapping his arms around your torso, he felt his heart warm when you clutched onto him. Meanwhile, Shanks, not wanting to left out, burrowed his head into the crook of your neck. 

Yes, the two knew of each other's little 'crush' on you, but they supposed they were willing to share you. To some extent. 

  
You were certainly not going to be lonely tonight. 

You woke up to feeling extremely warm. And squished. You attempted to sit up, but something was waying down on you. You could hear breathing from beside you- _heck_ you could feel it. Snapping your eyes open, you were met with the sight of a toned chest, causing your cheeks to flush slightly. Looking up, you were met with the cheeky grin of Shanks.

"Good morining, N/n (Nickname)." 

You were about to speak up when a groan came from someone behind you, pulling you closer to another person's chest. You could feel their toned muscles, their arms wrapping around you possessively. 

"My dear, why don't you go back to sleep?" Nodding slightly, you closed your eyes.

Waking up to two hot men with you would have been a dream come true to anyone with lewd fantasies. Except you were a bit of an idiot, and went back to sleep, unaware of how easily they could have taken advantage of you. 

Actually, they technically _were_ taking advantage of you, just for a somewhat different reason. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH CUDDLES! I kind of felt like this was poorly written, oh well. Do you like the idea of story extras? Please tell me what you think.


	10. The Starting of a Journey and the Meeting of Allies Part Two

**Chapter Five: The Starting of a Journey and the Meeting of Allies Part Two**

* * *

You didn't know what to think. 

Kid couldn't have known that the bracelets would do such a thing to you, right? He didn't seem like he wanted to cause you any harm. You put your thumb and index finger an inch apart, attempting to create a spark of electricity. When nothing happened, you clawed your hand towards the sky, and small sparks of electricity started to appear.

If someone else were watching, they'd tell you that your powers didn't disappear. They would be celebrating. But they wouldn't understand. It should have created a torrent of electricity, not small sparks. Phoenix cawed from above, consoling you, but it didn't help.

You had just confirmed your suspicions. 

The bracelets blocked off the majority of your powers. 

The boat rocked gently against the waves, and you whimpered slightly, as you couldn't spot a single island around you. Everything was going wrong so quickly. You had just barely survived a storm, before snow had instantly replaced it. It was a miracle that there was a patch with no snow clouds ( _or was it?_ ). Suddenly, you felt a presence underneath your ship. Your eyes widened, and you made a move to jump, but you were a second too late.

The boat broke into splinters as Phoenix flew overhead, trying to get close to you. You gasped as you felt yourself fall, getting gradually closer to the sea. 

_Wind. Wind. WIND!_

You clenched your hands, willing the wind to keep you from falling in, but just doing this action was draining. If you fell in, your fear would overcome your concentration, and you wouldn't be able to do anything, especially when you had those bracelets on. Something wet smacked your stomach, sending you tumbling into the water. The last of your strength, wasted.

Coughing, air bubbles escaped your mouth as you flailed in the water. 

You didn't know how to swim.

You clenched your eyes shut as the water was unpleasant on your eyes.

You were scared.

You were going to die. Alone.

 _Master is going to be so disappointed to know that I died by drowning..._

Your limbs shook as your lungs burned, needing oxygen. You didn't want to die without anyone there to get you through it. You didn't want to die in general. You couldn't disappoint him. Bubbles escaped your mouth as you opened your eyes a little, making out a large shadow coming closer to you. All you could see was a yellow eyeball before you passed out.

Heh, at least you weren't alone anymore.

\---

"Captain, there's something approaching us." 

"What is it, Bepo?" a masculine voice asked. 

"It looks like... a sea king. Wait. There's something in his teeth." 'Bepo gasped. "It's a girl." 

"A girl?!" a man with reddish brown hair exclaimed. He tilted his green hat up to get a good look out the window. "Holy shit, there really is a girl! And she's beautiful~ Penguin, come-" He was suddenly smacked in the head by a man of average height, adorning a hat with the word 'penguin' on it in bold letters. 

"You idiot, if the Sea King has her in his mouth, then she's probably drowning, or injured! We're over fifty feet underwater!" the Penguin exclaimed. He turned towards a slim and tall man, adorning a white and black polka dotted hat. Tattoos littered his body, most of it being covered up by his yellow and black hoodie with a jolly roger on the front. "Captain, we have to save her!" 

"She could be dead already," he retorted. "But fine. Just don't get yourself killed."

"W-wait, we're doing it?!" Penguin exclaimed. 

"Who else?"

"B-but Captain... we can't take on that thing," spoke Shachi. The duo stared at their captain with puppy dog eyes. "We'll die."

He sighed. "You guys are hopeless."

\---

You blinked, seeing white light. Shakily, you sat up muscles sore from whatever the hell had happened to you. Looking around, you noticed that you were surrounded by medical equipment. Were you on land?

"Good morning." You whipped your head to spot a tall, tanned man reading a book on a chair beside you. "I was wondering when you would get up." He shut the book, setting it to the side, standing up, towering above you. Your eyes glanced up to the top of his head, eyeing the white black polka-dotted hat he wore. It looked so soft and fluffy. 

"Um... Hello? Did you save me?" Your voice was soft, and hesitant. You noticed that he had a nodachi beside him, and that he wore a smiling jolly roger on his sweatshirt. It looked like Doflamingo's jolly roger. He was most likely a pirate if he had a jolly roger on him.

"Did I save you? Yes, I suppose you could say that. It would be a shame for someone beautiful as you to die." He twirled his weapon in his hand.

"Oh, thank you! I thought I was going to die." You grinned up at him, causing him to loose focus, dropping his weapon. Well that was a reaction he wasn't expecting. "Um... your jolly roger looks a lot like Doffy's, do you guys perhaps know each oth- Ack!" You were pinned down on the metal bed that you laid on, the man before you having a dark look on his face.

"Do you work for Doflamingo?" The weapon was unsheathed, pressed up against your neck as the handsome man demanded answers. "Answer quickly and I won't have to kill you." 

"I- um... no?" 

"Tch. How do I know you aren't _lying_ to me?" You gave him an "are you serious" look. Did he really expect you to prove to him your innocence? He was the one asking. What kind of proof did you have to show that you weren't working for Doflamingo?

"Are you going to answer me?" 

"I-I don't know. All I can offer you is my word. Now can you please let me go?" The nodachi was starting to dig in the side of your neck, and it stung. 

"I don't think so. Not until I get answers at of you." He held a hand up. "Room." 

You looked around at the blue circle encasing the two of you in awe, not really feeling all that bothered by the man, as you had another vision. "You have a Devil Fruit too," you uttered under your breath, and the man watched you in puzzlement. Why did you look as if you were innocent? Was Doflamingo interested in you because of your incredible acting ability? His thought was cut off by your voice, asking "How does it work?"

The Captain of the Heart Pirates grinned, disregarding his confusion. "Let me show you." He twirled his hands around. "Shambles."

"Whoa, I've never seen a Devil Fruit like yours before." Your head was currently attached to where your arm should be, and your arm was in the corner of the room. You moved your missing hand, and saw that it wiggled when you did so. This man's Devil Fruit was incredible. 

As you were in awe with his work, a headache caused you to cry in pain, and you saw a vision of him standing beside Luffy, Kid, and yourself. It looked like somewhere in Sabaody Archipelago, but you just couldn't pinpoint where. If it was giving you a headache, it must have been far into the future, but not too far. You estimated it to be over half a year, give or take. 

He took notice of your cry of pain, and observed you. He noted that you seemed to be having a headache as you were holding your head with the arm you had left. He kind of felt guilty for doing this to you, especially after you were complimenting him about his Devil Fruit, and how it must have taken so much time to get it done right properly. But he knew what you were trying to do, you were trying to sweet talk him into getting what you wanted.

He knew your type, innocent looking but manipulative. He wasn't going to fall for it-

The door slid open, reveal his ~~pillow~~ navigator, Bepo.

You gaped at the mink, something he took notice of. The grip on his nodachi tightened ever so slightly.

"...you...ARE SO CUTE!!!" You tried to get up, but toppled over as your limbs were in disarray.

He deadpanned, sensing your excitement as if it were being transmitted to him. Everything he was just thinking about was immediately thrown out as he was blasted by _innocence_. He sighed. If this was your personality, then maybe you didn't really have anything to do with Doflamingo, but what if this was your play? To act innocent and oblivious?

You hugged Bepo, wrapping your arms around him, squealing at how soft he was. 

Or not.

He suddenly blinked, realization smacking him in the face. You had your arm back and your head was attached to your neck where it belonged. He rubbed his eyes. How did you undo his Devil Fruit?

"I'm sorry." Your heart nearly broke at the bear's sorry, and you gasped. 

"Why are you apologizing?! I should be the one sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." 

"I'm sorry..." You held him tightly as the surgeon stared at you.

"It's okay, please don't be sad."

Bepo sighed as he buried himself in the crook of your neck, before realizing something. "How did you undo Captain's Devil Fruit?" 

"Captain?" You turned to face the fluffy hat wearing man. "You're the Captain?" 

"Yes, I'm the Captain," he spoke, exasperated. You didn't seem like much of a threat, now that he thought about it. "How did you undo it?"

You blinked, staring at your hands. "Huh. I don't know." You looked back up to face the Captain. "Oh right, let me introduce myself. I'm L/n D. Y/n, it's a pleasure to be your acquaintance...?"

He sighed, giving in. "Trafalgar D. Law. I'm not satisfied by your response."

"But I really don't know how I did it. It just... happens."

Law pinched the bridge of his nose. "That doesn't make any sense." He sighed. 

"Can I touch your hat?"

"What?"

\---

"I'm Shachi, and this is Penguin," the green hat wearing man gestured towards his friend. 

"Ah, like your hat." You flashed him a smile, causing the two men to swoon, gushing about how cute and innocent you were, and how you were just their type, before shock plastered on their faces at what was on your head. You gave them a look of confusion, before feeling a tug on your sleeve, and you looked up to see Law giving the two a disappointed look. 

"Idiots..." he grumbled, dragging you along the submarine. Ah yes, you were informed that you were in a submarine rather than on land, much to your surprise. That had ended with tears pooling out of your eyes, and Law awkwardly trying to comfort you as Bepo kept apologizing. Meanwhile, back with the duo, they were still standing there dumbfounded at the fact that their Captain's beloved hat was on your head. 

You gripped onto his sleeve, following him. Law was... comforting and familiar. They way he was trying to comfort you reminded you of Ace. You missed Ace and his funny remarks. Mihawk didn't exactly let you go visit your friends, only on occasion, when he was feeling extremely generous.

Law lead you down several doors before pausing in front of one. Opening it, he lead you inside, and you noticed the bed in the corner. 

"You're going to stay in this room. You're not allowed to leave unless I say so." He made a move to the door before turning back around. "And if I find out that you left this room, there will be _consequences_."

"Wait! Please don't leave me by myself." 

He cocked an eyebrow. What. Why would you not want to be by yourself? ~~Actually, why was he leaving you by yourself in the first place?~~ "And why is that?" 

"I-I don't like being by myself." 

Law pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "I don't trust you with my crew, especially when you know one of my enemies." He was partially lying. The man had a feeling that you wouldn't do such thing, especially with your breakdown earlier. You were, in a way, a child. A very well mannered one.

If he were telling the truth, he felt rather annoyed that Shachi and Penguin were attempting to converse with you. It wasn't that he didn't trust you with his crew, it was that he didn't trust his crew with you. In a way, Law saw his dead sister in you, with that large happy smile on his face. It was innocence that he wanted to protect. Did he perhaps want a second chance at protecting someone?

"Please?"

He sighed. You really were like Lami. Shutting the door, he made his way back towards the bed- his bed -where you sat with your hands on your lap. You visibly brightened up, and he could hear his heart thundering in his ears. "Fine. But you have to answer some of my questions. First- What exactly are you?" 

You gave him a confused stare as the bed dipped, Law settling his weight onto it. 

"You were drowning, and my men thought you were being eaten by that Sea King." Oh, so the thing that attacked you was a Sea King. "But instead, the Sea King brought you to us so that I could help you. When we pulled you out of the water, you were dry. I've never heard of a Devil Fruit that can do such a thing."

You shook your head. "I don't know." You stared at the bracelets on your wrists. "I don't really understand myself either. I'm pretty sure it's not a Devil Fruit, but I know it's my power." You grew silent, sorting out your thoughts. It was really quiet. "I used to able to whispers telling me what to do, but ever since I put these bracelets on, everything's gone so quiet." 

He hummed. Whispers you said? He eyed the bracelets around your wrists in slight fasination. "Do the bracelets cancel your powers?" 

"Y-yeah. I think so." You slowly moved to stand up, before his voice stopped your movements.

"Stay still, I'll try to cut those bracelets off for you." A small smirk graced his features. "Unless you want me to cut you up again." He could see your eyes sparkling at his words, but stayed still nonetheless. How cute. He held a hand out. "Room." In a split second, he took out his nodachi and made contact with the bracelet, before a pulse rang throughout the submarine, shaking it violently. Law flew backwards, hitting one of his book shelves, the books falling onto his face. Blood began to trickle down his nose.

"Are you alright? You're bleeding! I'm so sorry!" You rushed forwards, before evidently tripping over your own feet, face planting before him. "Ow..." 

Hearing a snort in front of you, you pouted slightly. "That was on purpose." 

"That's even worse." Law wiped the blood trickling down his nose with his hand, eyeing the intact bracelets around your wrists. "Well that didn't work." 

"It's alright, at least you tried, right?" You helped him up, placing the textbooks back on the shelves. 

"I would have preferred it cut. It's either due to my incompetence in my abilities, which I doubt that, or your bracelets are seemingly something else entirely." His calculative eyes watched you as you made a move to stand. Your eyes looked sad that something that had always been apart of you had been taken away.

Law didn't know what to say. Should he console you? Comfort you in his arms? Let you drown in your own misery? Sighing to himself, he reached out to cover your eyes with his hat, chuckling at your confusion. 

"Let's go see Bepo and get some food."

\---

"Goodbye!" You waved at the crew who reciprocated the action. Law stood to the side, arms crossed. 

"Don't die," he chuckled, albeit slightly worried why you wanted them to stop in the middle of the ocean. Especially after your panic attack.

"I won't... hopefully..." A caw came from above, and you smiled when you saw Phoenix (thank god or you would have died from fear. Most likely fear of the ocean, considering that you had been working on your Autophobia). He had been following the submarine, just as you thought he would be. In his golden beak was you backpack, and you breathed a sigh of relief. Tied to Phoenix was a small wooden fishing boat that he had brought from somewhere. Hesitantly putting yourself in, you seated yourself in the middle of the dingy. Once you did, Phoenix immediately took off. The Heart Pirates could only watch dumbfounded as you left with the flaming animal.

"No way..."

"It's just like the legend..."

Law stared down at the piece of paper in his tanned hands, smirking. You were more interesting than he thought you were. Terribly innocent and naive, but overall interesting. 

He knew one thing for certain. He wanted to see you again.

\---

Mihawk watched as the yellow submarine dove back down into the water. 

His hands itched to grab Yoru and kill those pirates, but then again, you would be saddened when you found out. Well... if you found out that is. He shook his head. He shouldn't kill needlessly, that would be irrational. But as he watched a large fleet of fifty approach you, he couldn't help but feel more rage. 

A storm was brewing, both literally, and figuratively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that I think about it, I realized that Bepo is wearing a jumpsuit, so you can't exactly feel his fluffiness. So uh, we're just going to pretend, alright? Cause Author's too lazy to fix the mistake.


	11. Master and Pupil, a Bond That Is Not Easily Severed

**Chapter Six: Master and Pupil, a Bond That Is Not Easily Severed**

* * *

_Keep calm._ You internally told yourself. It was best to stay level headed, but it was hard to do so when you could feel the rage exploding from your normally calm and disinterested Master.

He was angry. He was very angry.

You didn't think you ever saw him angry. Even when you made mistakes, he was patient with you. Just seeing and feeling the amount of hatred radiating off him was scary. What would have happened if you were his enemy? 

Fear bubbled within you at the very thought. You would die in a second. 

Everything about this situation was very bad. 

\---

Zoro could hear the shouts of Don Krieg's crew and their terrified cries of horror. He swallowed thickly as the man he had been searching for held an aura he could never imagine.

It was bloodlust; powerful, pure insane bloodlust.

"He followed us here... to kill us!!!" one of Krieg's lackey shakily spoke.

"We're done for!"

Moss head shook as his eyes followed to where Mihawk was staring at. His gaze was directed towards you, and Zoro's mind instantly clicked the pieces together. 

_"Was it possible that...?"_ His thoughts were cut off by, his captain speaking.

"Zoro, who's that?" Luffy's eyes were on the small boat now, but occasionally flickered back to the man who held you hostage. Frozen in fear of the figure approaching.

"The man I've been looking for. Hawk-Eye Mihawk. The world's strongest man..." 

"Hawk-Eye Mihawk...?" Where had Luffy heard that name before? He placed his hand under his chin, thinking very hard. "Mihawk... Mihawk..."

Meanwhile, as Luffy was searching through his memories, Patty's grip on his pitchfork tightened. "That's the man who sank Krieg's fifty ships on his own in the Grand Line?"

"Then the one who destroyed Krieg's ship just now is also..." Carne was cut off by another cook speaking. 

"But he looks just like an ordinary human. It doesn't look like he has any special weapons." 

"His weapon is on his back..." answered Zeff, noting the bloodlust coming from the man. It was intense, and powerful, but from what he could tell, not directed towards the restaurant. He didn't know whether he should consider this as lucky, or misfortune.

"That can't be!" exclaimed Carne. "Did he really slice up that large sailing ship using that sword?" 

The Head Chef's arms were crossed. "He's the master swordsman Hawk-Eye... the man who stands above all other swordsmen in the world..."

"B-but what's he doing here in the East Blue?!" Patty shouted. 

Luffy widen his eyes in realization. He smashed his fist to his palm, making an "o" face. "I remember now! That's Y/n's Master!" Well, if your Master was here, Luffy didn't have to worry too much about you. Everyone snapped their necks to face the air headed captain. 

"WHAT?! THAT'S HER MASTER?!" 

That sentence alone had confirmed Zoro's suspicion. One of many, actually. It shocked him to know that you were training under such a great man, especially when he didn't even see you carry a sword. Was Hawk-Eye training you in some other criteria? After a moment, his eyes widened in realization. The bloodlust... that pissed look on the man's face. It was all directed towards Krieg, and by the looks of everyone else's face, it seemed that they had realized it too.

"Krieg must have done something to upset him." Zeff spoke. "Messing with his student seems to be the perfectly logical explanation."

Zoro swallowed thickly. Did he really want to fight against a really pissed off Mihawk? He shook his head slightly, a determined look on his face. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered at the moment except for one thing.

He needed to fulfill his promise. 

\---

"You son of a bitch!" one of Krieg's pirates yelled. "What kind of grudge do you have against us?" 

_**oof.**_ Wrong move buddy.

Mihawk tilted his head to face the man, the bloodlust he was feeling immense. In a blink of an eye, Mihawk pulled out his dagger, and sliced the man's throat, before resuming his prior position. 

That piece of trash wasn't even worth Yoru a hundred times over. 

The now dead man's crew mates stared at his body in horror. Nobody had even saw the whole thing happen, the movement far too quick for their eyes to perceive. 

"H-How dare you!" another pirate shouted, most likely the man's friend. He pulled out a gun, wanting avenge his friend. "Die!" Firing a couple rounds, Mihawk took his beloved Yoru and adverted its course. "H-How?!" 

"He diverted it." The male jumped, looking behind him to see Zoro there watching the scene. "He gently changed the course of the bullets using the point of his sword." 

"That can't be true!" 

Zoro ignored the man, walking closer towards the boat. 

"Hey! Who are you?!" he shouted after Zoro. "Wait... three swords... Could it be...?" 

The swordsman grinned. "I've never seen a sword moved so gently..." 

"There is no strength in swordplay based only on force," Mihawk replied, bloodlust retracting only slightly. Did he really want to kill a fellow swordsmen right now? Especially when he was on a time crunch? His golden hawk eyes flickered towards your shivering form. 

No, he couldn't waste any time. Not now at least.

"Did you use that sword to slice up this ship as well?" the green haired teen continued. 

"If you keep talking, I might kill you." He was already pissed, and he had a current mindset of "kill the man holding you hostage and take you back home". If something was going to stop that, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from killing everything- everyone -in his pathway. He knew he wouldn't be able to whip his weapon out to kill Krieg if you were in his grasp- Mihawk would never dare harm a single hair on your head. The logical solution would be to get in closer, but what if that pirate threatens your life?

Damn it. He should have killed Krieg when he had the chance.

"I came out to sea to meet you." The grin on the man's face was maddening. Did he think that this was funny? How you were currently held hostage by that disgusting excuse of a pirate.

In actuality, Zoro did not. Sure he was worried for your safety, but he trusted that Luffy would do something about it; he always did. In his mind he believed that maybe Luffy or one of the other people would get the hint that he was trying to distract everyone, but now that he thought about it, he probably distracted them too.

"Did you not hear me?" Mihawk could feel his muscles twitching. Zoro tied his green bandana across his head. You could only watch helplessly as you saw a vision of Zoro all cut up, bloodied and dying.

"I came to defeat you."

"Hmph..." His golden hawk like eyes trained on your new friend. "How foolish. But I have more pressing matters to attend to. My pupil is in peril at the moment, and I do not want you wasting time that could have been used to save her." 

Krieg chose this moment to release you, and you landed on the deck, coughing, much to everyone's relief. Zoro let out a breath, his stance relaxing slightly. He didn't want to know how his captain would react if his First Mate got taken away- or worse, killed. 

_"Wise choice"_ Mihawk thought as he made his way towards you. Oh he couldn't wait to have you back in his arms, and to spend all night snuggling with you, all wrapped up in his arms- maybe he'd even have Shanks come over, that's how good he was in. Or will be when he had you, but he didn't, and that was currently pissing him off. 

_**"Another man holding you? How ridiculous."**_ He mentally scoffed at the idea. Only _he_ (and maybe Shanks) had the right to do so. And perhaps a few select people because he didn't want to start a war just yet. 

"Y/n-san!" Ghin crouched down to be by your side, eyes warily watching your Master, not caring if he was going to be punished by his captain. Ghin didn't care, you were far more important, and he was sure that everyone who had encountered you thought so too. He just couldn't believe that you were _the_ Hawk-Eye Mihawk's pupil, but it was all starting to make sense.

Everything that happened at the Grand Line was because they had encountered you. When his captain had set eyes on you, that was when the fleets started to get destroyed. And then the storm came, and they had lost much of their provisions. 

Misfortune really had befallen them because they were trying to lure an angel. And now the devil was after them for their sins.

You quickly stood up, rushing towards your Master. You had to calm him down. You knew _you_ had to. You couldn't see the future (which was odd because it usually happened in serious situations), but you _knew_ that the outcome would be devastating. "Master! Please! I'm alright really! Please calm down!" You felt your foot slip on the plank. Eyes widening, you met his golden eyes.

Everything slowed down as everyone watched you fall into the water, shock on their faces. 

**_SPLASH!_ **

"Y/N!" multiple voices cried.

Sanji felt his heart stop as he watched your figure fall in. Before he knew what he was doing, he was running along side Luffy, trying to get to you. His angel couldn't die, and just... leave him.

_He needed to save you._

_He wanted to be your Prince Charming._

_But would he ever be the Prince Charming in your eyes with his past?_

\---

Is it so terrible to want to love something that had made an attempt at your life?

What did you do to deserve this? All you ever wanted to be was to be normal. To be able to walk along the beach freely without having to worry about anything. To be able to swim in the ocean with everyone, to feel the cool salty water against your skin. To know the joy of the ocean without needing to be afraid.

So why...?

The ocean caressed your skin gently as it slowly sapped your life away, dragging you deeper into the depths of the ocean. It was cold, and tasted like salt. It was only last week when you almost drowned, and you felt like time kept repeating itself. You laid limp in the water, hoping that you would eventually float back up.

You knew you wouldn't.

You always sank.

You didn't thrash- you knew it would be futile. Bubbles escaped your mouth as you cracked your eyes open slightly, seeing a figure above you, features obscured by the shadows as sunlight filtered through. 

Your tears slowly mixed with the ocean, hiding them as black consumed your vision. 

You wished you weren't scared of the ocean.

You wished you could be strong, not just for others but for yourself.

You didn't want to feel helpless, always having to rely on others because of your mistakes. In the past, you had to rely on Luffy, Ace, and Sabo, and Law too or else you would have drowned. Doffy and Mihawk shouldn't have to go through the trouble of helping you, nor did Shanks.

Even now, there was someone who was trying to help you. No one trusted you. 

So If they didn't trust you, then why couldn't they just let you sink like the rock you truly were? Just an unhelpful waste of space?

You knew it wasn't the right course of action, but why couldn't they? You weren't stupid. You knew that your fears were idiotic. It annoyed the marines, and it was probably annoying your Master too. 

All you ever did was refuse and run away from your problems, hiding behind a facade. To your Master, to Doffy... Why were you such a coward when it comes to your emotions? It was so easy to help others, but when it came to yourself, it was so... complicated.

Why was everything so hard?

Along your bracelets, small cracks appeared, pieces chipping off and floating into the endless sea.

\---

He coughed out water, as he dragged your limp body on to a piece of the destroyed ship, and a figure loomed over him. He looked up, meeting the gaze of a hawk. It would have been unnerving if there wasn't gratitude held within them. Mihawk bent beside your body, checking your pulse. It was faint, but still there. You were alive. He breathed a sigh of relief, but was unsettled by the fact that you were dry, despite being in the water just mere seconds before.

"What is your name?" That question had caught Zoro off guard, but he quickly answered, "Roronoa Zoro." 

"You wish to cross swords with me, is that right?" He nodded in response. "Then I shall grant it to you for your service, however, you should see the disparity of my power even before we cross swords." He ran a hand through your H/c hair, caressing your face, before looking back up at Zoro. Zoro could see how he looked at you with affection, his eyes softening from his hardened gaze. 

He wondered if it was out of love for you as a student or something else. 

Mihawk stood up as Sanji rushed to your side, cradling you in his arms. His eyebrows twitched at the action, irritated that someone other than him was giving you such affection. Hands itched to slice the chef up, but he resisted. You would be devastated if you knew, and he didn't want you to be more broken then you already were.

Meanwhile, Sanji didn't bother to notice the look Mihawk was giving you, having been so scared when he saw you fall in, especially after Luffy had announced that you were afraid of the ocean. Oh beautiful angel, you were even more beautiful in your unconscious state. As he gazed at your peaceful face, a question popped into his head. 

If you trained under Mihawk, then shouldn't you be... stronger? And why were you dry?

Mihawk eyed Sanji with a scrutinizing gaze, before his gaze met Luffy's. The Strawhat wearing boy had a panicked look on his face, but was immediately replaced with relief after having been confirmed that you were okay. 

_"That straw hat..._ _"_ So the boy that Shanks was fond of was your captain. He briefly wondered if the red head already knew of this. Eyes traveling back towards the moss head's, Mihawk spoke. "Is it your courage or ignorance that causes you to turn your sword on me?" Mihawk briefly wondered how you'd react if he killed the man before him.

"It's my ambition!" Zoro replied, drawing his katanas, placing Wado Ichimonji in his mouth. "And it's also because of a promise I made to a dear friend!" 

Mihawk spared a glance at your body, before ripping the dagger that hung from his neck, unsheathing it. He wanted to end this quickly. 

"Oi, what's the meaning of that?" 

"I'm no beast that goes all out when hunting a rabbit." The ironic part was that it all fell apart when it came to you, but he wasn't going to mention that. "Even if you're a swordsman who's earned a bit of a name for himself, this sea, the East Blue, is the weakest among the four seas. Unfortunately, I don't carry any smaller sharp instrument than this one."

"That's enough making fun of me! Better not regret it when I kill you!"

Let's get this over with.

\---

**"ZORO!"**

You jolted awake, heart pounding, wondering if that desperate cry was real or just your imagination. It sounded like Luffy... Rubbing your eyes, they focused on a certain sou chef hovering above you, and you stared at him confusedly, as his face had shock written all over it.

"Sanji? What's wrong?" You sat up, looking to where he was gazing at and your mouth hang open, eyes wide. You had woken up in time to see Zoro fall into the water, and you quickly looked at the culprit for his wounds. Your Master. 

Quickly standing up, you rushed to the edge and jumped. As you dived in the water, you realized something. 

You couldn't swim.

Bubbles escaped your mouth as you realized what you had done. Hands shaky, you prayed to the ocean to help you. 

_"Please."_ Your bracelets glowed a faint blue, sending a pulse through the ocean.

\---

Sanji couldn't believe you had jumped in, trying to save the stupid marimo. Did you forget that you couldn't swim, _and_ feared the sea? Rushing towards the edge, it seemed that the Greatest Swordsman had the same thought, about to dive into the water when a tremor came from the water.

_"Shit, what's happening?"_

Something was glowing in the water.

Suddenly, water launched straight into the air, the sea spitting Zoro out. Following Zoro was you, your eyes glowing a dangerous blue as the ocean pushed you up.

 _"No..."_ Sanji thought. Not the ocean- a _Sea King._ But his sea king looked eerily like a dragon, and he was sure that maybe it _was_. With a single lift of your hand, the sea floor trembled. His eyes caught something bright. Your bracelets- they were glowing blue, oozing a tremendous amount of power that was suffocating, before sending a fierce pulse that caused him to stumble.

In the wind, your H/c hair moved elegantly, streaks of different hues of blues in them, immediately reminded him of the sea. The glow of your bracelets illuminated your body, giving you a mystical gleam.

You looked so ethereal... just like his angel should. 

The Sea King lowered you down gently from his head, sea green eyes watching you as you descended. Your footsteps were all that were heard as you walked closer to them, moving towards Zoro's injured body. Holding a hand out, water from the sea came up in a large bubble, spitting out a white rocks. On closer inspection, Sanji and Mihawk realized it was salt. The filtered water then in cased around Zoro, glowing and providing warmth on his dying self. 

"Y/n!" Luffy shouted, tears pooling out of his eyes. "I thought you died!" You gave no response, immediately halting your movements to pass out again. Zoro fell back onto the deck ungracefully, along with the water. The man let out a groan, opening his eyes.

Before you fell too, Mihawk had caught your body in a flash, worry etched all over his face. He _had_ to get you back home so that he could investigate more on your abilities. Holding you tightly, he turned to face the barely conscious Zoro, who was sitting up, eyes staring intensely at your limp figure.

"I shall make this brief. I was pleased with your performance, Roronoa Zoro. I shall wait for you until the day you surpass this sword, but before you pass me, you need to pass my student." 

Zoro coughed, understanding in his eyes. _So you could use a sword._ Then where did you keep it? Your strange bag? During his contemplation, Johnny and Yosaku inspected his wounds, finding that the flesh had already closed up, but not entirely healed. Their eyes widen. Was this your doing?

Mihawk adjusted his hold on you, turning to face Luffy. "What is your goal?" 

"King of the Pirates!" 

"It'll be even harder than surpassing me." He took notice of Luffy gazing at your unconscious form. "Do not worry about Y/n. I take it you are her Captain?" 

"Yup! And I'm going to make her my Pirate Queen!" Mihawk frowned at that, immediately walking back to his coffin boat. He definitely needed to get you away from all these lecherous men. "W-Wait a moment! Where are you taking her?" 

"I'm taking her with me." 

"WHAT?! But why?!" Luffy shouted. "Y/n came all this way to find me!" 

"I don't want her getting hurt. Especially when these bracelets are causing her to be unable to access her power." Partial lie. He was feeling jealous right now that you were going to be spending your time with these men. But he knew it was inevitable. He just wanted to preserve your purity for just a little while longer.

"So that's why she looking so exhausted." Luffy hummed, before making a face. "But you can't just take her! I don't care if you're her Master, she's my First Mate!" 

"It won't be permanent. She will definitely be asking about you when she wakes up." He placed you on his seat, turning back to face Luffy. "I suppose you have good people in your crew. When the time comes that Y/n will set sail with you officially, I trust that you will take care of her. If you don't-" His eyes grew dark. "I may kill you." 

"Shishishi! Don't worry! I won't let anyone die!" Luffy gave him a grin, unfazed by his threat. "And I won't let anyone have Y/n!" The words, despite sounding innocent, held a secret different meaning within them.

**_Don't think you can take her away from me._ **

The older male narrowed his eyes at his new found rival, knowing full well he couldn't kill the boy. "Very well." Mihawk turned around to leave before a voice called out to him.

"Hey Hawk-Eye!" Krieg stood a ways behind him, voice shaking slightly. "Didn't you come to take my life... the life of the East Blue's ruler, Don Krieg?" 

"I was going to, but I now have what I came here for, as well as some fun. I'm going to go home now and tend to my pupil. I want to figure out what's wrong with her before she has any excitement in her life." 

Krieg cracked his neck, eyeing your form in the boat. "You may have had enough, but I'm tired of getting beaten, and having the things I want taken away." He grinned wickedly. "Die before you leave!!" 

Mihawk's eyes widen when he realized that you were within range of getting hit, and quiet rage started to take over him. If this man wanted to die so badly then he can just do so. Deflecting the ammunition, he made a slice for Don Krieg with Yoru, effectively cutting into his armor, and leaving him bleeding. 

He would have given him a final blow had he not seen the look within Luffy's eye, as well as the want of going home with you. Besides, killing Krieg would just be giving the man what he wanted, and that didn't seem very enjoyable. Escaping onto the boat, Mihawk placed you to rest on his lap, leaning against his chest, setting sail back home on the Grand Line.

His hand unconsciously found its way in your hair. With his one free hand, he rubbed the bags under his eyes, realizing that he hadn't slept for days in his worry of finding you. The boat dipped to the side slightly as Phoenix came down to rest on the edge, eyeing him in with amusement. He closed his eyes, ignoring the stare.

He could really use a nap right about now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone play One Piece Treasure Cruise or is that just me?


	12. Azar the Phoenix

**Chapter Seven: Azar the Phoenix**

* * *

Watching you leave hurt, a lot. But it meant that you were safe, so he should have been happy, right?

Sanji couldn't stop thinking about you as he cooked while his new captain, crew mate, and the bounty hunters doing whatever the shit they were doing were on the outside of their boat. He just couldn't stop thinking about that incredible show of power, controlling the oceans. And yet at the same time, he was worried. It was clear to him that you weren't conscious of your actions, and he wondered what kind of affect it had on you.

What if you died? The thought made his heart pound in his ears and sweat profusely. No, you wouldn't die so easily. You were strong. You had a renowned Warlord by your side, you wouldn't just suddenly _die_. You were his angel, he had to believe in you. Earlier he had used that pearl man as a way to blow off some steam, but now it seemed like it wasn't enough. 

Suddenly, the door slammed open, revealing a very hungry Luffy.

"Sanji! What's taking so long? I'm hungry..." Luffy whined, holding his stomach. Sanji sighed. Was he the only one thinking so hard? Luffy and the others didn't seem like they were having any trouble, so was it just him? His eyes trailed to the rubber man.

Maybe he should've just used Luffy as a punching bag instead.

Then again, that'd probably make you unhappy, and he couldn't have that now can he?

Unbeknownst to the chef, Luffy was in fact, having a difficult time. 

For Luffy, he ate a lot of food when he was stressed, and right now he was beyond stressed. Gobbling everything up, he just couldn't stop thinking about you. He wanted to know when you'd come back to join his crew. Hopefully before they set sail to the Grand Line, the two of you promised after all. 

He chewed on his meat, gazing at the thing. 

Were you eating something too right now? Were you hungry? Would you have liked it if he shared his food with you like the two of you did when you were younger? Those thoughts made him think of Ace and Sabo, and all the times you tried to stop them from fighting, and the laughter inside the base. Then there was Dadan, who always favored you _for some reason..._

Those were the good days, and he missed them. But there was a new adventure waiting now, one where he was sure to travel with you. 

Zoro quirked a brow at Luffy's silent behavior, chugging his alcohol. He was probably thinking about you, so Zoro thought it was no big deal. That reminded him. That Doffy man you mentioned... Zoro swore that name sounded familiar. He assumed that 'Doffy' was probably a big bounty pirate, considering the fact that the man mentioned your Master. He turned to Johnny and Yosaku. 

"Oi, have you two ever heard of this 'Doffy' dude?" 

"Doffy?" Johnny echoed. "Haven't heard of him, but it sounds familiar. Does he have a bounty?" Yosaku grabbed their stack of bounties, sifting through it. 

"Dunno, probably." While looking through the stack, Yosaku asked,

"Where did you hear of him?" Zoro put his hands behind his neck, propping himself up. 

"Heard him talking on the Den Den Mushi that our First Mate had." He yawned. "He probably has a big bounty, considering the fact that he mentioned _Mihawk_." His thoughts subtly trailed off to you and your innocent smile. 

That's right. You saved him from your Master. Or so Johnny and Yosaku said. Maybe he should thank you...?

He tensed. Thanking someone was weird, he didn't know if he had the courage to do so. Then again... Your face filled his mind, happiness radiating off of you as you were in the clutches of Don Krieg... How you were so oblivious. Zoro let out a sigh. He supposed that thanking you wouldn't be so bad. 

Someone like you needed protecting anyways, especially when he considered the fact that you were the First Mate, and Luffy would be super pissed (and sad) if something happened to you. Even now his captain was sulking.

_"...before you can pass me, you have to pass my student."_ Mihawk's words suddenly rang inside his head like a mantra. 

Then again, apparently you were freakishly strong if Mihawk told him that he had to surpass you before reaching the man's level. And hearing Yosaku and Johnny yap about how majestic and gorgeous you looked coming out of the water and manipulating it was enough to make him feel uncomfortable. 

Uncomfortable that all they thought of it was that you looked like an absolute goddess and not look to see that there was something special about you. He blinked, hearing Yosaku's voice, bringing the moss head out of his thoughts. 

"Sorry, Zoro-aniki. I don't have a wanted poster for 'Doffy'. Maybe he just has a too big of a bounty. We collect smaller bounties after all." 

"Eh, it's fine. Probably not that big deal."

~~**_Foreshadowing at it's finest._ ** ~~

\---

It was peaceful, and Mihawk let out a small sigh in content. Adjusting his hold on you slightly, he hummed as he stroked your cheek. Just feeling your warmth against his chest was enough to send him into a state of euphoria. Oh he didn't want this moment to end. He wanted to hold you until the end of time. 

The image of Shanks appeared in his mind. 

He frowned. Though he'd have to share with Shanks one way or another, Mihawk knew it was inevitable. That man was clingy, and would never let him have you all to himself. But it was okay to some degree, as long as it was someone he tolerated, it would be okay. As long as it wasn't some fucked deranged man, then it would be okay.

**As long as it wasn't Doflamingo.**

You moved slightly, snuggling into his chest, shaking slightly. It seemed that even in your unconscious state, your body knew that you were close to the sea. Typical. A caw cried from above, and he glared at Phoenix. It was pretty clear to him that that mischievous bird had ulterior motives, doing whatever the shit he wanted, whether it benefited Mihawk or his rivals.

Sometimes he wanted to skin the fucking bird alive.

Hearing groaning, his attention was immediately on you, eyes watching you as you yawned cutely. Hearing the ocean, you immediately froze, glancing around to see that you were indeed surrounded by water. 

Your mind was racing. Where was Phoenix? Where were _you_? How did you get in the middle of the ocean? What happened?

You were shaking at this point, tensing when you felt a hand stroking your back. Looking up, you saw your Master, and you immediately relaxed, everything leaving your system as you leaned against him. Everything would be okay as long as Mihawk was with you. 

Your eyes turned gold for a brief second, seeing the vision of Zoro fighting against a fish man.

Wait... Zoro..?

You widened your eyes. Zoro! About to speak, it seemed like Mihawk already knew what you were going to say.

"If you are asking about that man, I reassure you, I did not kill him."

You calmed down. "Oh... thank you."

"No need to thank me. I owe you an apology. I did not realize that seeing him gravely injured would cause you to jump in as well. I apologize for my incompetence." It kind of sounded like he was saying that you were too empathetic, but you disregarded it. You knew your Master, and he was very kind. Of course he wouldn't have killed Zoro.

"No, it's okay. I forgive you, but what am I doing here? I was supposed to be with Luffy." 

Those words left a foul taste in his mouth. Ah yes, the captain and the lecherous and delusional cook, of course you would think of them immediately. "I have decided to take you back home. I don't trust you with those bracelets on. I'm going to find a way for you to take them off." 

"What?! But I can take care of myself!" He gave you a glare. "...kind of... But I've already spent two weeks looking for him. Are you saying that you don't trust me?"

"To but it bluntly, yes. I don't want you to go alone unless those bracelets are off of you." You were about to stay compliant, but you widened your eyes in realization. 

"How did you know about the bracelets?" you asked him suspiciously. When he failed to provide an answer, you felt like crying. "You didn't trust me from the start did you?" 

Mihawk didn't trust you. You had to rely on him again. You didn't _want_ to become a burden to him, so why couldn't he have just said it to your face instead of following you around? If he had asked, then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much.

You wanted to go, dive into the water to get away from all this sadness and betrayal, but his grip had tightened, already anticipating your actions. You could only curl up into a ball against his chest, your Master gazing down at you in pity. Or at least, you believed it to be pity.

\---

Guilty. Mihawk felt guilt stabbing his heart. His chest felt heavy as though he was drowning, and he couldn't get himself to stop feeling such emotion. It hurt him so much to hurt you emotionally. He thought he was doing something for the greater good, but it was just a blow to their relationship of trust. And now that trust was crumbling before his eyes. 

What was he supposed to say? Apologize? Tell you that it was all because of his obsession with you? What is it that he had to do? 

Mihawk was never the emotional type, and he never had much experience with people, especially with women. The only women he interacted with was occasionally Hancock and that woman was annoying, but that was only his opinion. She was your friend, so he tolerated her to a certain degree. Though he didn't like those heart eyes that she constantly gave you. That made him want to strangle her to death. 

You didn't belong to Boa Hancock, no. You belonged to him. 

You were all he could ever think about. The first thing he always did in the morning was to check on you, and he always ended up watching you sleep peacefully, blissfully unaware of his habit. Then, in the afternoon when the two of you trained with bokkens, he would always feel pride well up inside him knowing that you were just as skilled as he was (and he'd be even prouder to know that you would actually wield a fucking sword). And then at night he would comfort you until you slept, and sometimes he would even bring you to his own room. 

Ah, but when he does so, Phoenix would always stare through the window, watching his every move with amusement. ~~Insert Lenny Face.~~

Even with all these interactions he just didn't understand why you had such doubts about yourself. Yes, he knew about what went on in your head; you weren't exactly subtle with it, no matter how hard you had tried to keep it to yourself. He thought that if he made sure that he showed how much he cared about you, that you would eventually realize that you weren't a burden to him. But it only seemed like it made it worse.

So he tried to see what would happen if he left you. Granted, he was going to buy you a present, but it too had ended in failure. You didn't want to be a burden, and yet you didn't want anyone to leave you by yourself. Whenever he would try to talk to you, Phoenix would always interfere, causing his worry to grow.

Would you blame him for not knowing what to do with the situation? 

"Y/n. Everything I do is for you." You ignored him, staying silent. Why must feelings be so complicated? "I care about you deeply, and wish only for the best for you. I only followed you to protect you." Holding you gently, he stroked your head, running his hands through your hair. Frowning when he didnt't receive a reaction, he lifted your head up, positioning so that you faced him. When he saw your face, he sighed again, brushing your tear stained cheeks with his thumb.

You fell asleep.

\---

He liked drama. Maybe it was because his life had always been so boring, reincarnating over and over again to the same things. Maybe that was why Phoenix liked to mess with people, his favorite, being Y/n. He reminisced in his memories. 

How long had it been? Eight hundred years? Nine hundred?

Did it even matter anymore?

A couple millennia ago, when he was to be the expected age of a teenage fire bird, already having undergone 21 rebirths, he had lived on an island of beauty and riches. The island in which he inhabited was home to the people of power, gifted with ingenious intellect and strength unlike any other. Those people were descended from the very first people who utilized Haki, the very people who had created Devil Fruits themselves.

But just because they were descended from greats, didn't mean they had unimaginable power themselves. No, that power was only gifted to a special family, with blood the color of shimmering gold, and affinity to the world around them. The great dragons bowed before them, the sea creatures brought them gifts, and for the people of the island, they gave them gold, diamonds; and just about any precious minerals and stones they could get their hands on.

To the 36 races, they were known as gods, the creators of the world. A legend; a myth. 

But if you've lived as long as Phoenix did, seen as much as he did, then you would have known that they were not a myth. After all, he himself knew one. They died of course, but that was irrelevant. 

Those with the golden blood were known as the Ancient Ones, some who dubbed them as the 'Phoenix'. It was kind of funny, to be honest. He was a phoenix, they're last name was Phoenix- alright, maybe it wasn't _that_ funny, but you get the memo.

So then on one fateful day on the island, Phoenix had encountered a little girl. The moment he laid eyes on her, he knew she was special. Multi colored locks that swayed in the wind, and beautiful eyes of a thousand hues. She was beautiful, innocent, and yet something mysterious swirled in her eyes. He decided to perch on a branch above her, observing her actions. 

From what Phoenix could tell, he was _pretty_ sure that he hadn't seen her on the island before. He practically memorized everyone's faces out of sheer boredom. So who exactly was this little girl?

The child looked around before walking towards a small stump, pulling out a piece of chalk. Scrunching up her face, contemplating something (Phoenix thought she looked like she was constipated), she decided to draw something on the stump of wood.

One stroke.

Two strokes.

Three strokes.

It took him only a split second to realize what she was drawing. Or writing to be precise.

_Why are you watching me?_

Oh shit he was caught. How he was caught was the question. Flapping his large wings, he landed onto the stump, and the two of them locked eyes, a shimmering rainbow rivaling gold. He was several feet taller than the child, considering the fact that he was in his larger form. He internally smirked at the sparkles that radiated from the child's face.

"So you've come out. I didn't expect you to be a Phoenix. Did you know that my family's the embodiedment of your species?" 

He tilted his head. Embodiedment? His golden eyes widen. Was this child...?

"So what's your name?" she continued. "Do you have one?" 

Phoenix shook his head. _"No."_ His words echoed, resonated within her head.

The small girl could only stare at him in awe. "I didn't expect you to have such a deep voice." 

_"Most don't meet phoenixes."_

"Ah, I guess that makes sense." She nodded her head, contemplating something. Sitting on the stump, she spoke excitedly. "Well if you don't have a name, can I give you one?" 

Phoenix nodded his head. _"Bestowing a name upon someone like me would be a great honor."_

"You don't have to be so formal with me!" She chuckled, before placing her hand under her chin, thinking hard. "What about Phoenix?" He deadpanned. Using his literal species name as a name? She literally had zero imagination. It seemed like she caught on as the girl stared sheepishly into his eyes.

"I was just kidding. I think... **Azar** suits you."

Phoenix gazed down at the child as she awaited his response. Never had all his lives had someone treat him with such respect. The people of the island always treated the creatures as that. Creatures. Beings with lesser intelligence then they, but should be worshiped like no other. He couldn't help the fondness in his eyes as he stared at the little girl, overpowering his thoughts of not manipulating the child. _"Hmm... I like it. It does suit me, doesn't it?"_

The smile on her face told him that she was satisfied, and his eyes crinkled slightly. Though he could only make limited expression on his face, she could tell that he was happy. A butterflies slowly fluttered by, brushing against her cheek, and she let out a soft giggle. 

"Well then it's nice to meet you Azar! I'm ^̵̢̻͇̱̗̟̹͍͔͙̠͇̜͖͕̦̎̐́̽̑̓̋͐̓͐͐̕̕͝͝͝͠*̵̨̼͇̥͓͍̣̳̹̰̱̝͉̘̅̅͊͒̈́́͝ͅ#̵̟̭͂̀̾͛̃̆̈̍̎͗̇͝͝(̵̨̡̛̛̗̙͇̜̰̲͖̤͖̤̙̞̘̐̒̄̀͗̐̊͐̈̊̄͘͜@̶̡͖͔͕͚͖̰̺̩͚̘̟́!̴̡̡̢̡̳͈̩̝͖̟̮͖̥͉̱̥̻͍̟͓̔̂ͅ*̷̰̦͓̚%̷̢̡̨̧̝̞͍̥̩̬̞͇̻͈̩͉͈̆̍̆̒͆̽͊̿͆̓̽͛̀́͘͝." The wind blew in pink flower petals, and he couldn't help but think of how angelic the little girl looked. He briefly wondered if she'd make a good companion.

_"Nice to meet you as well. Now what do you say to a little bit of fun?"_

The girl jumped up excitedly, her hair transitioning into a warm colors. "What kind of fun?!" It was cute, precious even. So very innocent and easy to manipulate- not that he'd want to manipulate something so pure.

_"What do you say we go mess with some people?"_

"Sure! What do you mean by 'mess with'?"

Bam! He felt like he was smacked in the face with pureness. God, what kind of sheltered life has this girl been living? After some explaining (to which lead to more explaining), she eagerly nodded, and the two were off into the town.

In the end, it was safe to say that Phoenix, or rather **Azar** , had a new partner in crime. Too bad she had to die in the end. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so not satisfied with this chapter. It feels so shitty. I am sorry.


	13. The Little Princess

**Chapter Eight: _The Little Princess_**

* * *

The air was cool as the wind entered through the open window, smelling of salt. He could hear the marching of the marine soldiers as he sifted through the papers on his desk, a tired look in his eye. Garp was tired. There was nothing interesting that ever went on around Marine Ford, and it was irritating. He wanted back the days when you were still young, running around the base without a care in the world, never daring to set a foot off the base. 

He wished that he had never succumbed to Sengoku's decision to bring you to Mary Geoise in the first place, attracting the attention of very important people. 

And yet what of you? What about your freedom? You were happy now weren't you? Shouldn't he be happy too? That his unofficial granddaughter was happy now as her life training to be a.. a _pirate_. 

Should he have pestered you? To tell you that it was a mistake, like he did with those other brats? So why didn't he? Was it because he already saw that you would have turned eventually, that he knew that Red-Haired Shanks or Luffy would do something to guarantee you to become one of them? Why didn't he step his foot down on it when he heard it come out of your mouth?

Was it because of how happy you looked, with those sparkles in your eyes? Was it because he knew how life on Marine Ford was no place for a child? That you were constantly isolating yourself from the rest of the world? Was it because he felt that he should have been a better guardian for you, and felt that this was the right decision? 

Was it the right decision? 

The snap of a pencil caused him to look down at his hands, sighing in realization that he had snapped it out of frustration. The broken fragments littered the small children's picture book that sat on his desk, title written beautiful golden characters/letters _The Little Princess_ , a book that you loved with all of your heart. And because you loved it so much, he had taken good care of it. He quickly brushed the broken pencil off.

Sometimes he wondered if it was a coincidence that you loved the book so much, or perhaps that there was something bigger at play that he wasn't noticing. Did you know? You probably didn't, but he knew it wasn't wise to underestimate you. He sighed. There wasn't a day that passes by that Garp didn't think of you, and how you were doing surrounded by those damn shichibukai. And he knew that that frustration he was feeling was the same to those that you were close with, here in Marine Ford. 

Garp shivered, remembering the reaction of Akainu. That was certainly not a pleasant memory. Thank god that he had Kizaru and Aokiji to restrain the man from causing a disturbance. If those two weren't there, Garp was sure that the Admiral would have kidnapped you and reprimanded you or some sort. Man that man was extreme. 

A crash downstairs caused him to remember that there was in fact, a few people that kept the place lively. 

"Eh? Saka- _chan_ , you're flipping a table again?" 

"Get the fuck out of my office, and _don't_ call me 'Saka- _chan_ '." 

"You guys woke me up from my nap." 

The Vice Admiral put his hands together and prayed. "Dear lord, please have mercy and bring Y/n back to us."

And they were the most terrible of company, especially after you left.

\---

"Captain, I think you should take a break." 

"Not now, Bepo." Law flipped the page of his book, taking in as much information as he could get. 

"Captain, you've been at it for a couple days already." He flipped another age, humming. Bepo huffed, before leaving the man's room. That book Law was reading was a children's book he found in a library on one of the islands they came across. Granted, it would have been odd to see Law reading a children's book when every other book he had in the sub was medical related or informative, but considering what had transpired a couple weeks ago, it was understandable. 

Shachi and Penguin stared at Bepo expectedly as he walked out the door, only to shake his head. 

"To think that our Captain is a doctor and can't even take care of himself." Shachi tsked in disapproval. 

"He's probably just love sick," Penguin mumbled. "That girl _was_ cute. Why wouldn't Captain fall under her charms? He must be wanting to know just about everything about her because she's so etherealing. Before we know it he's going to be so obsessed with her that he-" 

"I don't think it's good to joke like that," Bepo said. "Captain really isn't doing the best right now." 

"Ah, right. Sorry." Penguin hummed. "Still, it's kind of funny to see a grown man like him read a children's book so intently." Shachi and Penguin laughed together, and Bepo nervously looked back at their captain's room down the hallway. 

Unbeknownst to the idiots on the other side of the door, Law buried his face in the children's book, face tinged slightly pink. He wasn't obsessed with you. He barely knew you! Those fools. And there was nothing wrong with reading this book. He slammed it shut, throwing it on his bed.

They were so dead.

Meanwhile, there was another pirate who was currently having a similar dilemma. 

"Damn it. These drawings are so crude and childish." Kid glared holes onto the picture book that Killer had provided him. Killer didn't bother to mention the fact that he saw that another pirate by the name of Trafalgar D. Law was in the library that he was in, purchasing the same book. Killer probably would have engaged in combat had Kid not told him directly to bring the book as fast as he could. Even so, he couldn't help but wonder exactly what that pirate needed with a children's book. Did he perhaps meet you too? But that would be a one in a million chance. There's no way that they both met you within the same time frame. 

Or perhaps he met you before...? But if he did, wouldn't he have gotten the book immediately afterwards?

His gaze was on Kid now, who was laying on his back with the book in the air, staring at it as if it would hold all the secrets in the world. 

And Kid himself was demanding it to tell him. 

It was fucking ridiculous actually. 

"Fuck." The book slipped from Kid's larger hands, smacking him right in the face. The golden letters glittered brightly as if telling the whole world to humiliate the pirate. "How the fuck do people read this shit." Killer let an amused smile grace his features. It wasn't like Kid would know, considering the fact that he had a mask on. Though, he couldn't help but ask,

"Do you want me to read it to you, Kid?" He could see the flaming haired man's eyebrow twitch as he snapped his neck towards him. 

"Are you serious? Just because my name is 'Kid' doesn't fucking mean that-" And cue the long pissed off rambling of Kid, who acted just like one. Killer only watched Kid amusedly as his thoughts drifted to you. 

Were you doing okay? Did you know about the Ancient Ones? What kind of mysteries are you hiding? Was it simply a coincidence that the mark had appeared when it did? 

What exactly did this all mean? 

"Oi, are you even listening?!"

* * *

"Did you finish analyzing the texts I gave you?" The sound of crinkling newspaper filled the room as Crocodile placed it on his desk, looking at the female in front of him.

"Of course, Mr. 0." Robin gave him a smile. "Would you like me to tell you what I've discovered?" 

"Yes." 

"Very well then. It appears that your suspicions may prove to be true. I must say the book you gave me was truly magnificent. I was a little concerned about you until I flipped through it. It also appeared to have a few ciphers encrypted within its pages, but I focused on the message. While we know from the legends that the existence of the Ancient Ones is plausible, the author is relaying that it is possible to find one. All you have to do is look for the key."

"And what could this 'key' be?" 

Robin hummed, tucking the picture book under her arm. "Well, I have reason to believe that this 'key' might actually be a person. Now who in your mind immediately pops up at what I said?" Crocodile was silent for a moment, eyes widening. 

Was it possible that...?

"I must tell you something before you do something rash. Those who look for the Ancient Ones suffer a fate far worse then death." 

Crocodile laughed. "What could be worse than death?" 

"... to see that the person you love will never love you back. A heartache of eternal suffering." He paused, thinking. Is that really a fate worse than death. How idiotic.

"Then I'm glad that I don't have extra baggage to worry about something as useless as love." Smoke escaped his lips as he readjusted his cigar. Robin merely smiled at Crocodile with knowing eyes. 

"Of course." 

Crocodile was extremely stupid sometimes. Robin knew full well that there was someone he cherished more than anything, even if the man didn't know it himself.

Though, it was rather amusing to see him make a fool of himself every time you came by. 

L/n D. Y/n, was that really your name? It was rather funny to think that an angel like you had the Will of D. 

\---

The gentle waves slowly rocked the boat, slowly waking you from your slumber. You shivered slightly, not of the cold, but of a feeling that there was someone watching you besides your Master. It seemed like the person holding you misinterpreted it, because it caused his grip on to you to tighten. You didn't think anything of it, lifting your head so that you could see the horizon. 

It was beautiful, blue, with cotton candy clouds floating in the sky.

It was kind of nostalgic. 

You remember reading your favorite book, listening to the waves that once calmed you. You remember how the waves were so gentle to you, revealing the beautiful seashells that littered the beach. Though now, the once calming waves were now the source of your anxiety. All because of a small mishap had caused the death of someone special, and the fear that one day the government would take you away. 

Your breath hitched as you suddenly saw flashes of your favorite book, each in different settings, all seeming to be held by adults, judging by the size of their hands. What was the significance of this vision? Were they trying to decipher what was in that book?

 _They shouldn't do that._ You knew that very well, because the real message wasn't hidden. It just couldn't be seen through normal eyes. Those revealed in the book was just to throw people off, but even so, there was truth to them. 

It was pointless to search if you didn't have the right materials. Granted, you only found out by mistake. And what you found was something you knew shouldn't be openly shared. The information you found would bring the entire world in uproar, some claiming that the information was false, others off to find it. It would be a whole new era, a completely new pirate era. 

The map to the Ancient Lands to find unimaginable power would be a complete offset. 

The World Government breathing down your neck as a child was bad enough, but then a map to the place they've been looking for for centuries?! How was a child was supposed to react other than complete fear? Why else would you be so reluctant to set out to sea? To go to Mary Geosie? 

Why did they even take you to Mary Geosie in the first place? What would have happened if you never went there? Maybe then, you would never have embarrassed yourself in front of officials. 

Maybe then, things would have turned out differently. 

Unless it was destiny. 

\---

Destiny is fickle. 

What destiny is there when you could shape it with your own two hands? Would it even be deemed as destiny? This world- this power -he gained was to ensure that you would get the best care, so that he could protect you wherever you walked. He didn't really believe in destiny, and yet it was this destiny that lead him to the island before him. 

"Captain! We're preparing to land!" His eyes flickered to examine every inch of the island. 

It was a lush green, with the whitest and shiniest sand he had ever seen in his life. It was large island, the most beautiful one he had ever seen, and he had seen many islands in his lifetime. The ship came to a soft landing, and he immediately jumped off, examining everything around him. 

There in front of him was a small path, shrouded by willows that glittered like little emeralds. On closer inspection, he realized they _were_ emeralds. A grin made its way onto his face, knowing that it really was the island of the legends. 

_"The sand was of the purest minerals, refined to be softer then the loveliest of blankets. Emeralds dangled above like little willows, chiming together to create a soft music as the wind blew by. And in the center near the base of the mountain was the home to the Ancient Ones, where the animals gather to glimpse one, where the wind moves to be gentle, and the flowers open to look presentable._

_This is the place where the rain never comes, only in small sprinkles, and the only terrible weather is the never ending sun. Euphoria is a place of paradise, and Euphoria waits for no one."_

"Oi, Shanks. Don't you dare leave without me." Shanks turned around, grinning up at his First Mate. 

"Whaat? Why would I do that?" He laughed. "When did I ever leave you guys?" 

"You ran off to the children's bookstore last week" Benn deadpanned. "Gave everyone there a heart attack. I think you scared the children too." 

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm great with kids! Luffy loved me! And so does Y/n! She always visits me." Benn shook his head, an amused smile on his face as he jumped off the ship. Somehow the conversation always turns to you, and it was amusing and slightly concerning at how much Shanks talked about you. Hell, he even talked about you in his sleep.

"She visits you because you beg her." 

"What? No, she does it because she's sweet! I don't beg her!" Benn immediately thought back to three weeks ago, where Shanks called you, and was begging to see you again. He was even trying to bribe you to come over, and was almost successful until Mihawk came on the line, told him to shut up, and hanged up. 

"You're an idiot." 

"But you respect me~" 

"Let's just go find that thing you're looking for." Shanks laughed, before going underneath the emerald willows. Up ahead, his eyes immediately landed on a stump, a piece of chalk neatly placed beside it. He took note of it, before continuing off, with the footsteps of Benn trailing behind. It was decided that it would be the two of them to enter the forest, Shanks, because he was the captain, and Benn because he was the one who kept their captain in check. The rest of the crew had to stay behind to protect the ship in case something happened. 

What exactly was Shanks looking for? He didn't exactly know. He was just following the map on his brand new copy of _The Little Princess_. The last copy was ruined because someone had spilled booze all over it. Shanks was so not happy. That copy was the one you had given him as a present, so the one he was holding didn't have the same value. 

Shanks was a laid back man, if the crew described him, and he rarely got angry. So when the experienced an extremely irritated Shanks that morning, it was a complete nightmare. He had stormed off the ship to the nearest bookstore, scaring everybody on the island and unintentionally giving children PTSD. It wasn't until his mood had calmed down that he questioned why everybody was so afraid of him. 

Benn didn't have the guts to tell Shanks what had happened. 

"Hm..." The red haired man closely inspected the book, trying to find out a clue to what the treasure exactly was. Maybe he had to go the home at the base of the mountain?

He stopped, before whipping out his sword. The sound of metal clashing together rung throughout the island, sparks flying off as his sword made contact with a tail. He widened his eyes. It was a _dragon_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! This chapter was mostly about what was happening with the other characters and their thoughts, and a little bit of the significance of a special book. Everybody feels so OOC... Welp. 


	14. A Kidnapping within a Kidnapping

**Chapter Nine: A Kidnapping within a Kidnapping**

* * *

Ah right, where exactly did we leave off at? 

_The sound of metal clashing together rung throughout the island, sparks flying off as his sword made contact with a tail. He widened his eyes. It was a **dragon**. _

That's right. Dragon. 

Shanks immediately jumped backwards as the iron hard tail came back around, nearly grazing his chest. The sheer power and size of the creature before him was immense, with golden eyes that narrowed into black slits and a body the color of green moss. No, not the color, the dragon literally had moss growing off of him. 

The Yonko, wondering if he should retreat and reevaluate his plans, patted his side for his book. Realizing that the book was no longer in his arms, he immediately spotted it at the base of the very intimidating dragon. Well, intimidating if you weren't powerful. 

About to rush in and retrieve it, the dragon, sensing his intentions, immediately crushed the book with his tail.

 **Boom!** The ground shook as the dragon destroyed his precious book and map. Shanks could feel his eyebrow twitching.

_Ah you fucking dragon._

_\---_

**Boom!**

You jolted in your spot, feeling a vibration through your body. You wondered what the cause of the vibration was, but you were beginning to think that it was your imagination since your Master didn't seem to notice it. 

The ocean waves crashed against the small odd boat, spraying sea water onto the deck. You squirmed as far away as you could get (which wasn't very far, especially when you're in someone's grasp), disgust and fear lacing your features. After waking up again, you accused Mihawk of kidnapping you from your friends, which he disregarded it as "it's not kidnapping if I'm not holding you captive".

By definition, kidnapping was "the action of abducting someone and holding them captive" (you read that in a dictionary, haha you felt so smart), and being trapped in his arms is probably considered as "holding you captive", but he ignored that too saying that "unless you want me to drop you in the sea, be quiet". You shut yourself up not because he would drop you, but because the look he gave you made you rethink your choices.

The bracelets on your wrists shifted slightly as your moved to get more comfortable, made of expensive metals and gems all compacted together. You sighed as you stared at them. Now you knew what Devil Fruit users felt like when they touch Sea Prism Stone. 

~~(At least you got more visions. Hahaha...)~~

After the face he gave you, and what had transpired earlier, you decided to give him the silent treatment. Why did he even want to take you back home just so that he could take care of you? You didn't want to burden him even more! This was supposed to be your moment to prove to him that you could at least be a _little_ more independent, and what he was doing wasn't improving your morale. 

But even as you gave him the silent treatment, you felt guilty for not conversing with him.

The black haired Warlord behind you, clad in black and red garments, scrutinized your reactions, especially the one towards the sea. Sometimes, he wished he had a bigger boat, but then again, he wouldn't get the pleasure of having you on his lap.

He sighed as your usual cheery self was gone because of his rash choices that he made out of impulse. Yes, he felt extremely bad for his actions, but that didn't mean he would take them back. After all, you belonged to him, so why should he justify his actions? You would have been injured if you stayed too long on that floating restaurant, especially with your phobias (and your current situation). Dumb phobias, but nonetheless adorable. Ever since the two of you met, "coincidentally", encounters between the two of you had become frequent. Heck, you even became his student with much manipulating and pulling strings.

And after his small confession to you, which it turns out you had fallen asleep, he didn't know if he had to courage to say it again. He really did care a lot for you, but he didn't know how to help with you mentally. He's tried. Does he need a more direct approach?

His gaze was on the top of your head, and he let out a small sigh. He knew you well enough to know that you were pissed at him, from what he could tell by the silent treatment that you didn't usually show, and that you were also pissed at yourself. But he knew that it would be a consequence he would have to pay. Funnily enough, he too was annoyed. 

You perked up at the sound of his sigh. Mihawk was probably annoyed, especially with that stunt you had tried to pull earlier on the floating restaurant. You weren't thinking when you jumped into the water to save Zoro. If anything, you should be the one more annoyed right now, but you weren't. Just mostly sad and disappointed.

Wiggling around, you let out a small defeated sigh, realizing that you can't escape, but then again, where would you escape to? Phoenix was currently a couple dozen feet into the air, and you doubted that he would be fast enough to save you. Eyes flashing gold, you saw Nami crying on the ground, repeatedly stabbing her arm into her shoulder with a tattoo. You tensed up, growing worried for whatever was happening, but you felt that she would live. 

And yet you wanted to comfort her. To tell her that it would be alright. To tell her that she didn't have to suffer anymore. You stretched your hand out a little, gently touching her shoulder. She felt warm. 

For a brief moment, she stopped, and looked behind her. You watched as her eyes widened. 

"...Y/n...?" Through her eyes, she saw you, light surrounding your figure, a kind smile on your face. Were you truly there or was it merely a figment of her imagination? 

You gazed at her in confusion. Was this not a vision? 

Suddenly, you felt a hand run through your H/c locks, and you blinked. Nami was gone. Confused, you didn't even notice the hand coming for you until it made contact. You tensed, before you began to lean a little into the gentle movements. It was nice... and relaxing. You relaxed in his hold, finding yourself extremely tired once more. You hummed, slowly forgetting about Nami as you were left wondering what was happening. Then it hit you.

Your Master was fiddling with the soft strands of your hair.

"M-Mihawk, wwhaat aare yyoou doing?" You stuttered, your face dusted with a little bit of pink now ~~due to the feeling of something hard being pressed against you~~. 

The said man tilted his head down, gazing into your captivating E/c eyes, face showing no indication as to what he was thinking.

"...How adorable..." He smiled softly, gently caressing you so that he could calm you. This was the only thing he could think of, and he was happy to know that it was working. 

Humming softly, you leaned against him, turning your attention towards the fluffy white mounds of cotton candy in the sky. If you had watched him any longer, you would have seen a large smile erupt on his face, showing his perfect sparkling teeth. And adding on to that beautiful smile was a barely noticeable hue of pink that had creeped up on his face. It was rare that you would call him by his name, and he loved it when you did. It was always "Master this" and "Master that". Sure you were his student, but you didn't have to go calling him that 24/7, especially on that restaurant. Besides, technically you weren't his student anymore since you left a couple of weeks ago. 

~~Mihawk would never admit it but it turned him on whenever you called him "Master". (I did not just write that)~~

Clouds roamed over head as you stared with watchful eyes, and in the distance a small pink speck had began to take shape. 

You squinted your eyes at the anomaly. You were going crazy weren't you? Being stuck surrounded by the ocean on all sides, and Mihawk being... Mihawk ~~and a sprinkle of Yandere~~. The blob was getting bigger at an alarming rate, gaining speed as it approached the two of you. You could feel the hawk-eyed Warlord shift in position to grab Yoru, muscles tense. As it got closer, you could make out a familiar pair of sunglasses. 

_Wait a second... that kind of looks like-_

Your eyes widened, as the King of Dressrosa had made his presence known. You could hear his words echoing in your head when you had last spoken to him.

_"See you later."_

So this was what he meant by 'See you later'.

Shooting up, you realized that if he crashed into the boat at this speed, you were all going to die. Or rather, you were. You supposed that you could use this opportunity to escape and be more independent. You attempted to move towards the edge of your boat and escape, but a certain swordsman wouldn't let go. Looking up, you stared Phoenix down in the eye, but he merely gave you a small shrug and took off higher into the sky. You gaped at his actions.

_Traitor!!_

_\---_

Doflamingo grinned as he saw you in all your heavenly glory. Like a beautiful goddess- his beautiful goddess, his princess. But that grin had been smacked right off his face at the realization of who you were with. Veins popping on his forehead, he let out a small animalistic growl. 

_My Y/n instincts was right. How dare he place his hands on what **I've** claimed. _

A yelp erupted from your throat as you felt yourself being tackled down onto the floor boards, not being able to stop him due to your tired state. Water splashed up and you squealed slightly, tears pricking your eyes, so you squeezed them shut. When the boat stopped rocking violently, you cracked them open, looking at the man who was straddling your hips. The man in question merely grinned down at you, a tongue coming out to lick his bottom lip. 

"Fufufufu~ Hello there Y/n." 

"Doffy, what are you doing here?" You squirmed under his weight. He wasn't exactly light, considering he was a ten foot tall human being (was he even human?). You started to push him off, but he wouldn't budge, do to the fact that you had the bracelets on.

"Is that how you treat someone who came all this way to see you?" He feigned a look of hurt, but was confused by how weak you suddenly were. A menacing aura from behind him caused the blond to look back, catching the dark glare from a certain bird.

"Hawk Eyes Mihawk, now what do you think you're doing with _my_ Queen?" 

Mihawk kept his stoic outward appearance, but internally, he was fuming. How dare he touch what belonged to _him_. The person that kept him from the clutches of loneliness. "Y/n is _my_ student, what I do doesn't concern you. And what do _you_ think you're accomplishing by crushing her? She doesn't look the least bit comfortable." 

"You _are_ heavy..." you mumbled underneath your breath, but the two Warlords had heard. Mihawk gave Doflamingo an "I told you so" stare, causing Doflamingo to sigh and stand up. God did he hate it when other people tell him what to do, but this was _you_ they were talking about, so obviously whatever you wanted, goes. Well, at least, that was how the minds of the two Warlords worked. Usually. 

"Thank you." Getting up, you felt the boat shift under the weight of the three of you. Water sloshed inside, eliciting another small squeal, and you lost your footing. 

_Oh dear._

Fear coursed through your veins at the thought of falling into the depths of the ocean, and you could only watch the surprised expressions on both of their faces, before falling into the murky waters. 

Or at least you would have, if a strong grip didn't hold you together. Correction: two strong grips. You opened your eyes to see that each of your hands were grasped in their own, worry evident in their eyes. In sync, they pulled you up, though Doflamingo with a little more force, causing you to stumble into the ten foot male's chest. You could feel Doflamingo's warm breath on your neck, and you wiggled in his grasp. Your eyes bulged as the two of shot into the air, riding the clouds with you within his arm, and you shook in slight fear. Why wouldn't you? For all you knew, the flamingo could drop you to your doom.

Aerophobia - Fear of flying

If Doflamingo dropped you (to which you were pretty sure he wouldn't) you wouldn't be able to do anything with your handicap on.

"Please put me down!" 

"Stop struggling if you don't want to fall." 

That shut you up quickly, and you begrudgingly held onto his form. Honestly the two shichibukai were so similar sometimes. A pleased smile was plastered on his face as you gave him a somewhat annoyed expression. You just left your Master on his own, and without even saying goodbye or even apologizing to him about your silent treatment. Heck, he even saved you from falling into the ocean again.

Sure, he did technically take you from Baratie, wanting to go back to the castle with you against you will, but that didn't mean you didn't _like_ him. Mihawk was one of the kindest people you knew (not that you knew much people to begin with). It just left a bad taste in your mouth that you left your Master. You hoped he'd be okay. 

\---

Mihawk kept his gaze on the two of you as the two of you left, his eyes narrowing particularly at the flamingo's back. If it were just the King of Dressrosa, he would have drawn his sword and attacked him for touching you, but with you in his grasp he just couldn't. Sure you could defend yourself, but he didn't want to be the one to hurt your delicate skin. Boy was Doflamingo infuriating, stealing you from him. 

The Strongest Swordsman slipped his hand in his pocket to pull out a white sheet of paper- the vivre card that you had given him after your time training with him. More specifically, he made you get one, but those details didn't matter. He sighed, calming down. You would be fine, he reassured himself. That bird brain wouldn't do anything to hurt you.

Well he hadn't so far, but Mihawk knew that something would happen eventually. Breathing in deeply, before letting it all out, he made sure that he had a clear mind. 

Welp, he supposed he was back to following you again. 

There goes his plan to relax back at his castle. When he saw that fucking flamingo he was going to slit out his eyeballs, and stab him over and over again until he bleed to death. 

He hummed. Yes, that sounded nice. 

\---

Doflamingo, one of the seven warlords of the sea, and the current King of Dressrosa. Your relationship to him? Friends. You found it kind of weird how he can easily locate you. Out of every single spot in the ocean, island, town, or Kingdom, he always somehow finds you without a vivre card, but you were sure it was some sort of friendship thing or bond or something of the sort. 

For Doflamingo, this 'locating' power was simply a useful tool to be with you wherever, whenever. He calls it his "Y/n instinct", knowing exactly when to leave when you were in danger or with someone he knew he wouldn't like. And that's how he found you in the East Blue with Mihawk. He smirked, reminiscing in the thought that he had taken something from the Great Swordsman, to which he had voiced to you.

Your reaction was odd (but amusing to hear from your lips), but considering the fact that you were constantly "kidnaped", you had replied, "Oh, I guess that's nice?" with a slightly shaky voice.

Ah yes, another one of your phobias: a fear of heights.

"Though your fears are amusing, if you're going to go off on your own, you should get rid of them." Doflamingo eyed the island up ahead, before adjusting you to a more comfortable position. "Or you could always join me~" 

"I'm alright, thank you Doffy." 

"Now aren't _you_ being polite." 

"But, I'm sorry I can't join you. I've already promised someone else I'd join them"

He cackled madly, hiding his irritance for that certain someone. You knew him well enough to not tell him who that certain someone was, and he found that both annoyingly irritating and amusing. Amusing that you were trying to protect someone, and annoying that they had your loyalty. Eyeing the island ahead, he began to slow down.

Loguetown, "The Town of the Beginning and the End." The place where you had requested him to drop you off. 

Slowing to a stop once above the island's port, Doflamingo spoke. "I have to get back now." He attempted kiss your lips, to which you turned your head, causing him to kiss your cheek instead.

"I should have expected that," he mumbled, opting to kiss your forehead instead.

"A kiss on the lips is saved for someone special, Doffy." His smile twitched. "We talked about this before, right?" 

Ah yes, of course he'd remember.

\---

_"A kiss on the lips is for someone special, so I can't give you one."_

_"Are you saying that I'm not special enough for you, Y/n?" You widen your eyes as you tried to come up with a response. He chuckled._

_"N-No! It's just that Ace told me that when you kiss someone on the lips, it has to be with someone you want to be with, someone you love and want to spend your entire life with." He hummed tilting your head._

_"Don't you want to spend your entire life with me?" You went silent for a moment, thinking._

_"Now that I think about it, yeah. And with Master, and Shanks, and my friends. So does that mean everybody deserves a kiss on the lips?" Doflamingo silently gaped at you. Kissing everybody? Jealously twisted in his heart. Disgusting. Why would you give your precious kisses to all those undeserving people?_

_"No, not everybody." You frowned at his words, which prompted him to add, "For some people you, kiss them on the forehead and others for the cheek." He was seriously questioning how he was supposed to explain love to someone like you who could interpret one thing for another. "For the people you love, you kiss them on the lips. It's not love as in friendship. It's different. You'll know it when you feel it." He watched you nod along to his words with attentiveness._

_"I think I understand now. Wow, you're so smart!" You paused before asking him something. "Do you feel something different too? Do you love someone?"_

_"Fufufufu~ You're asking something personal now, Y/n." You covered your mouth, face looking very apologetic._

_"Sorry, Doffy."_

_"I was just teasing you Y/n." He pinched your cheeks before releasing them, dropping the two of you onto the dock. "Yes, I love someone very dearly, but they don't know if they love anyone or not." You made a shocked face._

_"They don't know if they love anyone? That's kind of like me! I hope that you and this person will be happy together in the future." You giggled softly, not noticing the way he was looking at your through his lenses. A soft smile was on his face, as you looked up to see Phoenix, flapping down and shrinking, before settling on your shoulder._

_"Yes." You turned back towards him, listening. "I hope that we'll be happy together in the future too." You nodded._

_"So what exactly do you do for the people that you love love?"_

_"Hm... well, personally I'd do anything for my precious Queen. Anything to get her to be by my side."_

\---

"Yes, I remember." Doffy chuckled at your cute smile, and he couldn't help but pinch your cheek. Setting you down, he took his other free hand so that he could pinch both of them. You pouted at his actions.

"Did you ever get to tell the person you love how you feel?" He paused, releasing your hurting cheeks, only to ruffle your hair. 

"I love you, my little Princess." Your eyes sparkled, and you jumped into his arms. 

"Aww! I love you too Doffy! So are you ever going to tell me if you did or not? You never answer my question when I ask." He deadpanned at your obliviousness. How is it that you could be so intelligent and perceptive, but so downright dumb sometimes? He let out a sigh. At least you weren't with that Master of yours anymore. 

"I need to leave now Y/n. I have a meeting with Caesar that I have to attend to." You frowned. 

"Is it about the SMILEs?" 

"No, this one is far more important." You nodded your head, releasing him from your embrace. Though, you couldn't help but wonder what could be far more important that the SMILEs.

"Alright. I understand." You met his gaze, seeing his concerned look. Ah, you knew what that meant. "Don't worry! I'll be fine on my own. I have Phoenix with me after all!" You chuckled nervously when you couldn't see the fire bird anywhere. "Somewhere.." He was silent for a moment before speaking up again.

"Very well. If you need something, send me a message. I'll check up on you some other time. Goodbye, my little Princess." 

"Goodbye Doffy!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm..... I wonder what Doflamingo is up to. And spoiler, next time you encounter one of the Marine love interests!! (lol I'm making it so obvious)


	15. Story Extra Number Two - Period Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mihawk tries to console the reader during her period. Features Mihawk and Jinbe. Oh yeah, and Garp and Sengoku at the end.
> 
> Small Spoiler: Reader's period is going to come up again in a future chapter because everyone thinks she's a baby and needs to be reminded. 

**Story Extra Number Two - Period Problems**

* * *

You hissed in pain, clutching your stomach, abruptly dropping the bokken in your hand. Mihawk raises a brow at your pained state, making his way towards you. 

"What is wrong, Y/n? Your performance today was also poorer than usual." It's been a couple of weeks since you started training with the shichibukai, and this week was your period. You were hoping that it wasn't going to be so bad like it usually was so that it wouldn't stop you from training, but you guessed you assumed wrong. 

Face a little flushed from embarrassment, you answered honestly. "Umm... Master, I-I might be on my period this week." 

He scrutinized you with those golden orbs of his, before lifting up your bokken from the ground. "I hope you realize that just because you're on your menstrual cycle this week, doesn't mean I'm going to go any easier on you. Nobody would in a real battle." 

You nodded quickly, attempting to ignore the pain and grab onto the bokken. The pain that you were experiencing was nothing. You could handle it. Gripping the bokken tightly in both of your hands, you repelled yourself forwards, attempting to get a good swing at Mihawk. You watched as he swung his bokken up to block your attack, and you quickly changed your handling on the bokken so that you could hit Mihawk where he was open. He noted your tactics with a small smile, moving quickly to intercept the attack that was bound to hit him. 

Except he was confused when you didn't make contact with him. Instead, he could only turn to look at you who was on the floor in agony at the cramp you were currently having. 

You looked like you were dying. 

Were menstrual cycles really that much of a struggle? 

Sighing, he decided that maybe you deserved a little break for working so hard, and _definitely_ not because he felt that you deserved the week off because of your struggles. Gently scooping you up, he marched up the stairs and to his bedroom, tucking you safely underneath the blankets. He learned the hard way of your phobia, and that was certainly something he didn't want the both of you to experience again. Moving towards the window, he unlatched it, sticking his head out, looking for your little phoenix friend. 

Mihawk needed Phoenix to keep you company while he does some chores around the house. When he couldn't see the blasted bird in sight, he immediately radiated his 'you're not going to eat anything if you don't get your ass over here' aura until Phoenix immediately crashed into his room through the wall. 

Yes. The wall. 

He sighed at the fact that Phoenix was so dramatic, and the fact that he needed to get his wall fixed. Again. 

"Stay here." He pointed at the bed and you with a stern face, to which Phoenix nodded slowly. He rubbed his temple. Why exactly was it so difficult to care for a bird and a fifteen year-old girl? It hasn't even been a month yet. 

Why the hell did he make such an impulse decision to take you in as his student? 

Walking downstairs, he headed straight for the closet for the cleaning supplies, only to remember that he also cleaned the castle up yesterday because of _stress_. He could have face palmed, except Mihawk didn't do such a thing. That was Shanks' thing. And he didn't want to be seen acting like that buffoon he called a rival. 

Some how Mihawk found himself in the library, sifting through books about menstruation, _totally_ not desperately looking for a way to save you from the pain.

He skimmed through each of the pages, chilling on his throne, trying to find a comfortable position to sit in. It wasn't working. In the end, he slammed the book shut, and moved towards the kitchen to make you a herbal tea like the book suggested. He was already at the kitchen when he realized that he didn't have any tea leaves. _And_ the fact that he didn't exactly know how to make tea. 

_How humiliating..._ He thought to himself, slightly sulking. Until the doorbell rang (lol yes, there is a doorbell). Already developing a bad mood, he didn't exactly want unwanted guests over, especially not Doflamingo. 

However, outside the door was not in fact Doflamingo, but an unexpected visitor that Mihawk would never expect to see at his door. It was _Jinbe_ , holding a small bag of- 

**_TEA LEAVES._ **

Okay, he was trying _super_ hard not to overreact right about now, but he couldn't exactly keep his eyes off of the bag in the fishmen's hand. Was it just super convenient that Jinbe brought tea leaves over just when he needed them to make you something for your period? Actually, now that Mihawk thought about it, that was a strange coincidence. Maybe the fishmen knew that you were on your period. 

"What do I owe the pleasure for, Jinbe?" Jinbe, taking notice of Mihawk's somewhat glare on the bag of tea leaves in his hand, sighed. 

"I think you know what I'm here for, Mihawk- _san_." The use of san left a bitter taste in Jinbe's mouth, but he didn't exactly want to die yet (better safe than sorry). He held up the bag of tea leaves. "This is from Garp- _san_ and Sengoku- _san."_ Mihawk took the bag of tea leaves from him, sighing at the fact that Garp and Sengoku was using the shichibukai as their little errand boys (and girl) and babysitters. Not that Mihawk really minded though. 

He was proud to know that you could become such a promising young swordswoman. Not so much on the 'I can't handle sharp things or I'll die' but the two of you were making some progress. At least you could tolerate a knife from a distance. 

"Thank... you." It felt weird coming out of his mouth. Usually other people were doing the thanking, or begging for their lives. 

"...How...." Mihawk switched his gaze from the bag to Jinbe. "How is Y/n- _chan_?" 

"She's fi-" 

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Jinbe sweatdropped slightly as he watched the swordsman rush back into the castle, racing up the stairs. After a couple minutes of standing outside, Jinbe decided to let himself in the castle. Especially after smelling something terrible. His amazing sense of smell brought him to the kitchen, and that was where Mihawk was. Trying to make some tea. Except...

"You're not supposed to dump the tea leaves in like that." Mihawk shot Jinbe a glare. 

"I don't remember inviting you inside."

"You're doing it wrong. Do you want her to start choking on tea leaves?" Mihawk made a face. How the fuck do you manage to choke on tea leaves? Jinbe knowing exactly what was going through his mind because he had the same thought when Sengoku and Garp were drilling things into his head earlier, immediately added, "She choked on the tea because the tea leaves tickled her mouth." 

Yes. L/n D. Y/n was a complete idiot. 

Jinbe sighed. So this was the infamous shichibukai behind doors? 

The fishman grabbed the tea leaves off the counter. "I'll show you how to make the tea. That's also why I'm here." His eyes briefly glazed over to the delicious looking food on the counter.

 _So he can cook, but he can't make tea? How do you burn tea?_ Was that even possible to burn something so easy to make? What kind of cliched shit was this? 

Nevertheless, the fishman showed his fellow shichibukai how to make _Golden Tips Imperial Tea_ , the man tentively listening to each word, even if his face said otherwise. After making sure there was absolutely no tea leaves inside of the cup, and that the tea had cooled down a bit, the two of them walked up the stairs. They were about to make it successfully to the second floor when a bright red blur shot down from the hallway, smacking right into Jinbe, sending him tumbling down the stairs. 

Luckily, Mihawk was the one holding the cup. 

"What the-?" He felt a nip on his shoulder, and he looked down to see a familiar bird. "Get off me." Phoenix tilted his head innocently, digging his beak into his skin more. If Jinbe didn't have a high pain tolerance, he would have skinned the bird alive. Actually, he probably would have either way. 

"I said _get_ off." Phoenix tilted his head again. 

_Why?_

"You know why, I'm not your food." Jinbe was about to say something before the the two men tensed up. If Phoenix was out here then- 

A cry from up the stairs caused them to realize that you were up there alone. On your period. Didn't periods make women emotional? Jinbe thought. It was PNS or PMS or something like that, wasn't it?

Rushing upstairs, Mihawk slammed his bedroom door open, immediately heading straight for the bed. Turning on the lights, he placed the cup on the nightstand, and gently placed a hand on your back. He furrowed his brows at your flushed cheeks, and how uncomfortably hot you were. Taking his hand, he placed it on your forehead, determining that you had a fever. 

As he did all those things, Jinbe stood there in surprised at how gentle he was being towards you. When the shichibukai first met you, Mihawk didn't seem to regard you in the slightest. What made this change?

"She has a fever." Those words snapped Jinbe out of his thoughts. So you had a fever? Now that he thought about it, Sengoku and Garp did mention that your immune system was weaker during your period. He probably should have brought some fever medicine now that he thought about it. 

"I want you to stay here," Mihawk told Jinbe, before turning towards Phoenix who was sprawled out, chilling on the bed. "And _you_. You should be grateful I'm not going to skin you alive for all the trouble your causing me." Phoenix lifted his head up, squawking angrily at him.

"And you aren't receiving any dinner."

"SQQUUUUAAAAWWWKKK!" Mihawk shut the door, leaving to prepare some chicken noodle soup. 

Jinbe awkwardly stood at the door, turning to face a very upset Phoenix, before fixing his gaze on you. You were probably thirsty, and drinking the tea that he prepared for you should help soothe you a little. Approaching the bed, he stiffened when he caught the scent of your blood. And he could smell a lot of it. 

Gently reminding himself that this was natural, and that you weren't going to die (or else Mihawk would probably have his head), he nudged you slightly. 

"Y/n-chan, I made you some tea." You weakly opened your eyes, pushing your arms to help you sit up. 

"T...Tea...? For me?" He picked up the cup, gently placing to your mouth. Jinbe didn't exactly know how to take care of a sick person, but he was sure this was the basics of it. Sick people are weaker, so they needed more help. He breathed in, smelling the scent of your blood again. Then again, you were also on your menstrual cycle, so extra help was indefinitely needed. 

After you were done drinking tea, Jinbe placed the cup back down on the nightstand, and you leaned against the headboard. You were silent, and Jinbe took the time to study the room he was in. It was big and dark, with stone brick walls, and thick velvet maroon curtains. In a corner was Mihawk's signature sword, Yoru, and a large wooden wardrobe in another. Beside the wardrobe was a large desk with papers stacked neatly on top of each other. 

Overall, your room was nothing he thought would be in your room. It kind of looked like Mihawk's room... wait- Realization dawned upon him that this was definitely not your room. He was in the _Great_ Hawk-Eye Mihawk's room. Holy shit. Why the fuck are you in his room and not your own!?

"I don't feel so good ~~Mr. Stark~~." You didn't notice the way Jinbe stared at you in absolute horror and wonder, to immersed in your own pain. 

"Er... Why don't you lay down?" You nodded absentmindedly, feeling very hot and gross. Moving so that your head wasn't against the head board anymore, you plopped down, eyes closed. You had a really bad headache. You cracked your eyes open, staring at Jinbe who was also staring at you.

Jinbe.

When did Jinbe get here? 

Before you could ask, the door swung open, revealing Mihawk holding a tray of steaming, delicious, chicken noodle soup. Jinbe moved to the side as to not obstruct his pathway, and the swordsmen placed down the tray over your legs (it's one of those foldable trays). 

"Eat. I want you to be in perfect condition before we begin your training again." You stared at the food in front of you, tears pricking your eyes. Mihawk was really kind. You knew he didn't have to take care of you, but he did. Even Jinbe was here. 

"Th..Thank you, Master. You're really kind." Even so, you didn't exactly have an appetite. "But I'm not very hungry right now. I'll eat it late-"

"Eat it now." Your head was swimming as you processed that he wanted you to eat it that very moment. But you didn't feel like eating. 

"Er.. You should eat something Y/n- _chan_ ," Jinbe spoke up. "You're sick." 

Oh, so you were sick while on your period. _Great_. 

Deciding to comply, you lifted your hand up to grab the spoon. The spoon felt very heavy, and you barely lifted it up before you felt yourself pass out. 

Oh dear, this was going to be a long week.

**\---**

**Bonus** : 

Mihawk made his way back to the library. Jinbe had left a while ago to relay what happened to Sengoku and Garp probably, and Mihawk decided that reading more information concerning menstruation would be helpful for future happenings. Gripping the book, he placed it on his lap, attempting to get comfortable once again. Phoenix was currently watching you again (on the promise that he'll get dinner later), so he currently had time to spare before he had to check up on you once again. 

_"You're really kind."_

Was he really kind? He didn't think of himself as such. Especially when he had made so many enemies, pirates and marines alike. Nobody really ever called him _kind_. Then again, there probably wasn't anybody in the world quite like you. You, who didn't have a clue as to who he was when you first met. Granted, you didn't know about the rest of the shichibukai or the yonko, but even so, he still found you interesting. 

And when his long time rival mentioned you that was really what got him so interested. What exactly made you so likable to Shanks? What made Shanks talk about you all the time? Was it your power? You're intelligence? 

No, Mihawk knew what it was. It was your compassion. 

Mihawk looked down at his lap, seeing that his book had flipped to a random page. He was about to flip back to his page when he glimpsed a particular line. He shut the book. 

How vulgar. An orgasm to help relieve cramps and stress? He didn't need to know such indecent method. 

He sighed, feeling slightly hot. Looking to the side, he saw his reflection in the window, and he furrowed his brows. Pressing a hand on his face, he wondered as to why he was so red. 

\---

"Mihawk- _san_ is currently taking care of her." Garp and Sengoku stared at Jinbe in horror. 

"He what?!" Jinbe sweat dropped at their reactions. Sure, he had a similar reaction, knowing that the cold shichibukai had compassion, but they didn't have to be like this, right? 

"Erm, I mean. Good to know." Sengoku coughed, trying to pretend that he didn't just have an outburst. 

"That man better not do anything or I'll kill him!!!" Garp shouted, throwing his fist into the air. 

A crash from inside caused the three of them to stiffen. 

"HE WHAAATTTT?!" Oh dear, Akainu heard them.

"Oh? Saka- _chan_ are you on your period too~?"

"Shut up you shit." 

"Ora ora, you're disrupting my sleep."

"Take you and your lazy justice somewhere else!".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate periods. Lol everyone's so ooc. Especially Jinbe.


	16. Smokey the Bear

**Chapter Ten: Smokey the Bear**

* * *

Shanks was back at his ship, hand on his chin as he contemplated his actions. Okay, so he _may_ have fought with a legendary beast and killed it. Well, maybe he didn't _actually_ kill it, seeing that he and Benn were now back at the ship, slightly bruised with the dragon glaring at them in the distance. There was some strange voodoo magic going on. He was pretty sure he sliced the dragon's head right off (because he was pissed that it was stomping on his book), but the funny thing was that the dragon's head grew back and he was kicked out of the forest. 

Okay, maybe it wasn't that funny because seeing the dragon's head grow back was mildly disturbing. 

So now he was trying to figure out how to get past the dragon. Especially when apparently haoshoku haki didn't work. 

"How long has he been sitting there?" Yasopp asked, giving Shanks a concerned glance. 

"Thertiminuhs" Lucky Roux spoke muffledly as his mouth was full of meat. Yasopp shook his head, bringing out a bottle of booze. 

"Oi captain! You wanna get drunk?" Shanks didn't respond as his gaze was still on the forest where they came out of. Yasopp turned towards Benn. "Benn, you should give Shanks a kiss. Maybe that'll snap him out of his daze." 

Benn looked over his shoulder, before shaking his head. Shanks seemed like he wanted some time to think, especially after realizing that the dragon couldn't be killed. The dragon seemed to be conscious of his actions, stepping on the book on purpose to get a reaction out of Shanks. 

But why? 

His gaze fixed onto the ruined copy of _The Little Princess_ that you had given him. Staring at it, at shimmered for a second, before the shine disappeared. 

Maybe... He stole a glance at Shanks, before grabbing the book, flipping it over to where you wrote your small note. His eyes widen.

_Hope you **l** ike this b **oo** k Shan **k** s!! _

_**T** his is my favo **r** ite **story**. My grandpas always r **e** ad it to m **e** _

_when I was younger._

_Love, Y/n._

The book was supposed to be all drenched in alcohol, but there were small clean spots on those specific letters. _Look Trstoryee?_ No, _Look Tree Story_. 

But what did that mean? 

\---

Smoker let out a small yawn escape his lips as he sat in his chair. He felt tired today. He wondered why. Gazing at the picture frame on his desk, there was a melancholy look in his eyes. Smoke escaped Smoker's lips as he adverted his attention to the window in his office, blinking in confusion when he saw a flash of pink falling from the sky. Narrowing his eyes, he stood up, walking towards the door. Pulling it open, he was met with a confused Tashigi, fist raised, about to knock on the door. 

"Smoker-san? Where are you going?" she asked. 

"I thought I saw something falling from the sky." 

"Do you need me to accompany you?" He shook his head, pulling out another cigar, stuffing it in his mouth. 

"No, it probably isn't that big of a deal. You should stay here incase something happens." She nodded, a serious look on her face as she took off. Smoker sighed. Walking down the hall, his subordinates struggled to quickly get out of his way, in fear that they would be scolded. Leaving the building, Smoker frowned when he saw a girl standing in front of the building, talking to someone on a Den Den Mushi. 

He found it slightly suspicious. 

* * *

When Doflamingo had left you (albeit very reluctantly), you began to make your way around the town. 

Now then, why exactly were you at Loguetown? Well, you had a feeling that Luffy would arrive soon, if all goes accordingly, estimating that it would take approximately one week for his crew to get here. And that meant- *cue the drum roll.

One week of Loneliness! ...Yay.

You smacked your head against the wall of a random building. God were you an idiot. Sure, you had money, but loneliness was again, one of your phobias. Fuck you and your stupid phobias. This was probably one of the reasons why Mihawk was so nervous about you setting off by yourself ( ~~Ya think?)~~ and lucky you, Phoenix was nowhere to be seen. Good thing Mihawk had you work on your phobias, but he alone could not be a therapist you needed. 

Walking around town nervously, you found yourself standing face to face a Marine base. Huh, speaking of marines, that reminded you of something. 

Digging into your bottomless bag (Nino Kuni anyone?), you pulled out a small transponder snail. Grabbing the receiver, you awaited for an answer. 

\---

Garp was sitting at his desk when he heard the familiar sound of a transponder snail. Digging around, he pulled out a familiar looking snail, resembling his "granddaughter". It was cute, to say the least. Eagerly, grabbing the receiver, he held it up to his ear. 

_"Hey Grandpa!"_ That familiar sounding voice- tears were practically streaming down his face. _"Sorry I haven't been able to call you, I miss you a lot!"_ He could hear your giggles and he just wanted to pinch those little cheeks of yours.

"Bwahahaha! I was starting to think you forgot about me!" 

That elicited a small gasp. _"I would never! But I was getting a bit lonely."_ There was a pause down at your end before you spoke again. _"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that there was a pirate attack at the Floating Restaurant Baratie, so you might want to send some people down there."_

"Alright, thank you for letting me know." He could hear your childish laughter.

_"You sound like you expected this!"_ you giggled. 

"Well received a report that a certain _grandson_ of mine was causing trouble. If I wasn't preoccupied I would have given him a fist of love! Honestly, why couldn't he have turned out like you?"

_"Hey! You say that as if I'm not a pirate."_ Garp could imagine you pouting on your end.

"Well at least you aren't causing too much of trouble." You grew quiet.

_"... Are you sure you're not mad that I left?"_ you asked, addressing one of your biggest concerns.

"... I was more worried than mad at you," Garp spoke truthfully. "If anything, you should have seen the reactions of Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu!" 

_"Saka-chan is going to kill me when he sees me."_ you sighed.

"I don't think so, but he might give you a beating or two." 

_"That's the same thing!"_ you whined. _"Oh, by the way, I'm currently at Loguetown, standing in front of the Marine_ _base. So if you can't reach me, you can reach me from there."_

"Okay, thank you. Make sure you come visit me sometime, Y/n!" 

_"I will! But just don't tell Saka-chan or Borsalino-chan that I'm there."_

"Alright." 

"Gacha." The sound of the transponder snail echoed throughout his empty office. The muscular old man could feel the dread sinking in him in realization that what he had said to Y/n was basically a death wish. If she came to the Marine Headquarters, surely she couldn't take on all three of the Admirals? Ah, he (but more specifically Y/n) was in deep shit now.

Maybe he should let you know that you shouldn't come to Marine Ford. 

\---

Stuffing the Den Den Mushi back in your bag, a voice gruff voice called out to you. 

"What are you doing here?" Glancing up, you locked eyes with light blue ones belonging to a shirtless man adorning a marine jacket. Two cigars stuck out of the corner of his mouth, and his white hair was slightly ruffled up as though he had just woken from a nap. Puffing out a breath of smoke, he gazed down at you. You stiffened slightly, realizing who he was. 

"Huh? Oh!" Sheepishly rubbing the back of your head, you looked away. How were you going to play this off? You didn't exactly want to cause trouble now. "Sorry, I kind of got lost." 

The taller man looked down at you, before nodding his head. He could spare some time helping a good civilian he supposed, but he wanted to investigate that pink mass that fell out of the sky. "Well then, would you like some help, Miss...?" 

"Just call me F/n- I mean, uh," Your eyes snapped towards Phoenix who was perching on a street lamp. "Um _Phoenix_. Just Phoenix."

Oh, that was a close one. Laughing awkwardly, you continued. "And you are?" 

"Smoker." He paused, scrutinizing you. "Have we met?" 

"Um, no?" 

~~(Wow that sounded **real** convincing Y/n. This is one of the reasons why Mihawk treated you like an idiot. )~~

"Is that so?" Letting the smoke escape from his lips once more, he gestured for you to walk with him. "Is this your first time in Loguetown?" 

"Yup!" The initial weariness had worn off, and you felt slightly more comfortable with the handsome man. It didn't seem like he recognized you, that was a good thing. God were you terrified of him remembering you, he was going to be _so_ pissed when he does. "How did you know?" you added.

"Well, first of all you clearly don't know where you're going," he said after you nearly crashed into a wall.

"Maybe I'm just clumsy," you mumbled to yourself, but his smirk told you otherwise. 

"Secondly, there's something different about you that stands out from the rest of the islanders, though you do seem vaguely _familiar_." Smoker pondered about this for a second before snapping out of it. "Say, have you seen a pink blob falling out of the sky near the port?" 

You pondered. A pink blob? That sounded like Doflamingo. You widen your eyes. You can't let him know that you affiliated with Doflamingo! He might freak out like Law did. 

"A pink blob? Um, I-I don't think I have." He hummed in acknowledgment, frowning. 

A silence enveloped the two of you as you both strolled down the busy streets, you gazing at the small trinkets within the stores in awe as you passed, to which Smoker softly smiled at, slowly letting down his guard. You were adorable, and he felt his initial suspicions about you were all wrong. How could someone like you be evil? Or maybe that was what you wanted to appear like, to lure him into your trap. He was snapped out of his thoughts when you broke the silence.

"Could you direct me towards an inn? I'm staying here for a roughly about a week." Smoker nodded stiffly, beginning go feel wary about you as he lead you down a few roads.

Walking down the brick roads, the two of you stopped in front of a rather small, yet homey inn. It would be a nice place to stay for a while, and you were grateful that your old friend was among some of decent people within the marines. Bowing down low, you told Smoker your thanks, handing him a white slip of paper. You knew this was stupid, but you missed your old friend. He stared at it in confusion. He obviously didn't know what a Vivre card was. 

"Just a way of finding me. I get lonely easily, and I don't really know anyone here...," you spoke softly, a pink tint beginning to form on Smoker's cheeks. "Um..." Ah, this was embarrassing. "But you don't have to if you don't want to! I understand..."

With a huff of confusion, he stuffed it within his jacket, causing you to smile softly. "Alright," Smoker agreed, mostly because that expression on your face made him feel... uncomfortable? Sympathy? 

A sudden force knocked into him, causing him to tense. Staring down, he could see the top of your head, and the faint smell of your shampoo. Hesitantly, he awkwardly placed his arms around you, realizing that he's never experienced a hug since his best friend had left. This hug, it felt so _familiar._ And because he's a ( ~~simp)~~ softy, and because he felt strangely serene, he didn't bother to push you away.

You felt your face erupt in fire when you heard whispers from bystanders, and you immediately backed away, apologizing over, an over again. You reminded Smoker so much of the friend he had lost. Perhaps that was why he was so lenient with you? He sighed. "It's fine. You don't have to apologize. Tell me, what is the piece of paper you gave me?"

"It's a Vivire card," you told him after you had calmed down. "It's completely waterproof _and_ fireproof, and it will always point to me. It's also known as the "paper of life", which shows my life force." 

"Really?" He inspected it closely. "I've never heard of one." 

"Oh, um. They're made in the New World."

The white haired man's eyes bulged at the sound of "New World." 

"You've been to the New World?" Smoker asked, bewildered. 

"Oops, I wasn't supposed to say that. Ahahaha...." You chuckled nervously. He's probably suspicious of you now. "Sorry Smokey, forget I said that." 

"I- wait, Smokey?" 

"Yup. We're friends now, right?" Friends again, you hoped internally. 

_"We're friends, Smokey! I heard that friends give each other nicknames!"_

Was it the giddy look in your eyes that made it so that the marine couldn't refuse? Or the fact that you kept bringing up the unwanted memories of his first love? He just didn't know how he felt about you. You even had some sort of power that helped you survive the New World. Your demeanor and small stature made you look so innocent and weak, so how...?

"Yeah," he huffed, giving in. "We're friends now I guess." 

"Yay! Come with me!." Dragging him inside the inn, you walked up to the front desk to rent a room. Digging into your bottomless bag, Smoker eyed it in confusion. 

_What's wrong with that bag?_ Actually, the question in his mind wasn't what was wrong with it, but why it seemed familiar. 

You could tell that he was eyeing it, and began to explain what it was as you placed some money on the counter. "It's my bottomless bag. I don't really know where you can get something like this, as I've always had it, but as the name suggests, it doesn't have a bottom. That means I can fit anything inside of here." 

"How did you get things out?" 

"Well... there's this screen that pops up in my head that sorts through everything, and I just choose one!" you exclaimed as you unlocked the door to your room, swinging the door open to let him inside. Closing the door behind you, you flopped onto the bed. It felt different from the one back at Mihawk's mansion, but it held a different vibe to it. With the homey trinkets and decorations, unlike the extravagant bed that you were so used to, it was a nice change of pace. 

Well actually you usually slept on Mihawks bed and not your own, but that was irrelevant. 

"Let's do friend stuff. But first-" You were digging in your bag once again, only to stop and pull out a pair of bear ears. Smoker blinked, only to see you had disappeared. About to stand up, he felt two hands touching the top of his head, and he stiffened, reaching to grasp your hands. 

"Stop moving, hold on," you spoke, paying most of your attention to what you were currently up to. You were certainly odd in Smoker's eyes. The insane speed you had demonstrated was proof of that, but you were kind and had an air of trust to it. He couldn't help but like you, that was a special skill that you naturally possessed ( ~~like a lot of anime protagonists)~~. Eventually, your movements had ceased, and you stared proudly at your work. Holding a mirror from out of no where in front of him, his blue eyes widened in surprise. On his head were a pair of bear ears that matched the color of his hair.

"Now you really are Smokey the Bear." You grinned at him. He was clearly not amused as he made an attempt to take them off. 

"Aw... please don't take them off. I like them on you, it's cute." You gave him your best puppy eyes. You didn't know if it would work on the man, but it worked on Mihawk who was a very serious man in itself, so it had to have some affect.

Spoiler: It did.

With a huff, Smoker removed his hands, and stared at you expectantly. Oh right! You guys were doing bonding stuff. Now, what exactly do you do to bond? You could only think of the times Akainu threw you into the sea, how Aokiji would like to take naps with you, and the times with Ace, Sabo, and Luffy. Fighting those alligators and adventuring...

That was bonding, right? 

You put a hand to your chin, thinking. "Um... Do you want to sleep together Smokey?" He choked on his spit. 

"What?!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if anybody was interested, I have a Christmas Special posted up if you guys wanted to check that out. It's going to involve breaking and entering a house, chaos, Corazon and his non-barbecue brother, Crocodile not happy because a two idiots were hiding in his bushes, and much more. Oh, and it's an x reader if that's what you're wondering.


	17. Prophecy

**Chapter Eleven: Prophecy**

* * *

_"The gold piles upon their doorstep,_

_Each day we count, we prep._

_Until the day she shall be born to this destiny,_

_unknown to our unease._

_When death befalls upon her, the world shall wait,_

_while the birth of the new King is at stake._

_From the ashes, she shall rise again,_

_Only soon to be trapped in a lion's den."_

* * *

Smoker choked on his spit. 

"Okay, listen here you-" He paused, staring into your innocent eyes. You probably weren't talking about sex. Actually, probably was an understatement. He could feel his face heating up as his thought bombarded him. His head was swimming as you watched him struggle to get an answer out. 

"Er, is that a yes?" 

"Yes?" Smoker blinked at his mistake as you cheered excitedly. Now he was feeling guilty and he didn't want to ruin your mood. Well, at least you didn't seem to have any ulterior motives. He watched you with deadpan eyes as you flopped onto the bed, rolling around excitedly. 

Oh wait.

Smoker paled visibly as he realized there was only one bed. 

_Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit-_

"I- uh, have to go do somethings before I sleep. So I'll be uh back." He made a way for the door, only pausing when you asked him in a slightly nervous voice, "You'll come back though right?" 

"Yeah yeah, I'll come back," he huffed. Opening the door, he walked out, shutting it behind him. Well that was embarrassing. Walking out of the inn, he decided that he would head back to base. He needed to time cool down and think. There were too many thoughts and emotions going through him. Hopefully Tashigi wouldn't notice and leave him alone. 

\---

"Luffy, can I talk to you?" Luffy took a bite of meat as he looked up at his navigator. "Yehwashup?" he said with a mouthful of meat. Nami internally cringed at his behavior, but she suppose she was going to have to get used to it. 

"You remember when I... um..." 

"Stole Merry?" 

"No-" 

"Laughed when Zoro forced me to drink my booger?" 

"No I- Stop interrupting me!" she shouted as Luffy opened his mouth again. He had a sad frown on his face. The meat in his hands was held close to his face. 

"I was going to take another bite of meat."

"Well you keep interrupting me!" Nami sighed exasperated. "I wanted to say that when I..." She instinctively reached to clutch the tattoo she had stabbed. "When I told you I needed help, I saw... I saw Y/n." Luffy stopped eating his meat, eyes wide and now very interested in what Nami had to say. 

"But Y/n didn't come with us." 

"I know but I just saw her. She was there, Luffy didn't you see her?" 

"No," the boy said bluntly. "But I wanna see her too~ Nami why did you get to see her?" he whined, flinging his body onto his navigator. "This isn't fair..." 

"Luffy, the reason why I'm telling you this is because I don't know how I saw her. But she was with someone." Luffy looked thoughtful for a second and Nami had to do a double take. Luffy, thinking? Impossible. 

"Was it a man with a big sword with a weird looking hat?" 

"Er, yeah?" 

"Oh she's okay then." Luffy suddenly got up, inhaling the rest of the meat in his hand, before going back towards the party for the defeat of Arlong. "You can ask Y/n yourself when we see her if you wanna know." Luffy stretched. "I know I wanna know why. Why didn't she want to see me?! And why did she hide her new awesome power from me?! Man I wonder what else she could do now..." Luffy's voice began to fade away as he walked further away from Nami. 

Nami furrowed her brows. She kind of expected Luffy to answer some questions, not raise more. 

"Curious too?" She jumped at the sudden masculine voice, and she turned to see Zoro leaning against a building beside her. He had bandages wrapped around his torso from his most recent fight with Hachi. Zoro was lucky that none of his wounds from his previous battles had opened up or he would have surely died. 

"It just doesn't make any sense." 

"Luffy doesn't make any sense and you're not questioning it." Nami opened her mouth to reply before shutting it when she had none. Zoro was right though, but she couldn't help but feel curious about what you were capable of. And to an extent, reassured that you were strong and able to take care of yourself. She thought back to the incident in Baratie. Well maybe not that much, but still. 

He patted the wounds underneath his bandages. "I can say that she's definitely not normal, but I do owe her one." He paused, before continuing. "But I don't trust her. There's something suspicious about her, but if the captain says she's the first mate, then she's the first mate. There's no changing that idiot's mind. I'm sure we'll get plenty of chances at seeing what she's capable of though." 

"Why are you telling me this?" 

"You're weak. You need to be more careful than the others. And also because Luffy and that cook most likely won't listen to what I say about her." He remembered how defensive the two got when he mentioned how you were a little suspicious. The moss head didn't think he wanted to go through that again. He sighed. 

"Wow Zoro... does this mean... you actually care about me?" Nami asked in amazement. The man jolted in his spot, giving her a death glare. 

"Why would I care about a woman like you?" Zoro growled. "I'm making sure that you don't drag the crew down." 

"What did you say?! I'm not going to drag the crew down. You're the one dragging the crew down getting lost all the time!" 

"Damn woman I don't get lost!" 

\---

Smoker entered the room quietly, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. It was dark out, with the moonlight streaming through the curtains. On the bed he could see the rising and falling of your breathing, and he began to question why he came back. He took a seat on the bed, and tensed when he saw that you began to stir. 

"Smokey?" you croaked out. "Is that you?" You began to sit up tiredly, clutching onto something dark in your arms. He couldn't tell what it was but it looked fluffy. 

"Yeah, it's me." You turned on the bedside lamp, letting your eyes slowly adjust to the light before giving him a sleepy smile. 

"I knew you would come back." 

"Yeah." There was a red bird on your lap he noticed. Though he was curious, he choose not to question you. Smoker watched curiously as you reached down to the floor to grab your bag, pulling a relatively thick book out. The golden letters reflecting light, giving it a more ethereal glow. Smoker turned his head to read the title. 

_The Little Princess_

"Can I read you a story? It's my favorite." 

"Fine." You smiled. "I hope you don't mind it being a picture book. It's kind of long too." His blue eyes told you that he didn't mind at all as he got situated underneath the covers. "Alright then." 

_"Once upon a time there was an island filled with talented people. It was world of brilliance and power."_ You smiled softly as you turned the page. 

_"This wondrous place was dubbed by the people as Euphoria, the bridge of worlds. It was a place where the sand was of the purest of minerals, refined to be softer than the loveliest of blankets. Emeralds dangled above like little willows, chiming together to create a soft music as the wind blew by. And in the center near the base of the mountain was the home to the Ancient Ones, where the animals gather to glimpse one, where the wind moves to be gentle, and the flowers open to look presentable. This is the place where the rain never comes, only in small sprinkles, and the only terrible weather is the never ending sun. Euphoria is a place of paradise, and Euphoria waits for no one. But Euphoria wasn't just as it seemed, Euphoria had a secret, a prophecy that one day someone will unite or destroy the worlds. A Phoenix, if you will._

_To save the world from destruction, a sacrifice must be made. A sacrifice of blood."_

Smoker stared at the book appallingly. "Is this appropriate for children?" 

You shrugged your shoulders. "I don't know. I think so?" He looked at you skeptically before letting you continue. 

_"So, in order to defy the prophecy, a manhunt had began. Euphoria wasn't only known for it's brilliance and power, but for it's beautiful creatures. One of such was the Phoenix. Now there was one particular Phoenix that was well known within Euphoria, and that Phoenix was named Azar. He was quite the trouble maker who loved to play pranks and was always seen accompanied by a young child of beautiful ombre rainbow hair, and the most beautifully intricate rainbow eyes._

_The two had met one day coincidentally at a tree stump, and they became inseparable ever since._

_Everyone knew of this child. Blessed by the heavens who bestowed a golden ball of light upon her, just like first of her kind. She was the Heir to throne, with golden blood that ran through her veins that made her who she was. An Ancient One. One of the last, and one of the greats._

_With all her great achievement, she was loved by all, and some would say too much. People fought for her, friends upon friends, and a bloodshed soon shrouded the land for her hand in marriage. Driven by grief of what she had caused, she had put a curse upon the fruits, so that all who would consume them would be forever hated by the sea, to hopefully drive people away from consuming them._

_But it only fueled them further._

_The people knew she was devastated, but they couldn't stop. This bloodshed was for the princess and the good of their world. It was only when she died that they had come to their senses._

_In the end she had tossed herself to the sea, knowing that no one would be able to save her._

_The people wept and wept and wept and wept, begging for forgiveness._

_But nobody can revive the dead. Nobody can revive the lives that were lost._

_Once upon a time, Euphoria was a place of paradise, and Euphoria waits for no one."_

_"_ That was ominous," Smoker gruffly spoke as you tucked the book away. "I didn't take you for someone liking something so dark. I thought you said it was a children's book?" You gave him a sheepish smile. 

"My grandpa read it to me when I was a child. He said it was important. And... well... I like it because it's not like other stories. This one is sad and doesn't have a happy ending. It's different. Sorry if that's a little weird." Smoker shook his head. 

"It's different, I can understand where you're coming from." He sighed. "Life isn't all about shits and giggles. The story is somewhat more reasonable than most. Though those people were idiots, fighting over a girl." You smiled at him, nodding in understanding, before flopping onto the pillows. You closed your eyes peacefully, before speaking up.

"You've heard of the prophecy, right Smokey?" 

"Yeah. What about it?" You hummed to yourself a little, absentmindedly stroking the firebird on your lap.

"Well did you know that the story and the prophecy are connected?" You opened your eyes, staring up at the ceiling. Smoker huffed. "How so? There's no evidence to conclude that."

"Well in the book they say that a Phoenix would unite or destroy the worlds, but also the blood of a Phoenix would stop the destruction." Smoker raised a brow at you. He sat up, leaning against the headboard, gazing down at you.

"Then they would have to kill a phoenix." You shook your head.

"The girl died right?" He gave a nod of confirmation, wondering where you were going with this. "Do you remember how the prophecy goes?" 

"Yes." 

"Though there are ancient texts that talk about the ancient ones, you can find your first clue if you look on the very first page right here-" You pointed to the picture of the base of a mountain. There it was, the mark of the ancient ones and a pile of yellow at the bottom. "This is their doorstep. And that's gold, it's offerings for the Ancient Ones. Just like the prophecy." 

He quirked a brow. "So you're saying that there were two prophecies that were going on?" You nodded your head. 

"But it's a picture book, it's not real." You pursed your lips, contemplating. 

"I guess that's true, but there are plenty of connections to refute that. Like how the girl was born to a destiny, to be the ruler." You paused, getting excited that you finally had someone to talk about your findings after spending night after night reading the book. "Not many people know this, but the Ancient Ones were also called Phoenixes." Smoker widen his eyes, finally realizing what you were trying to say. 

"She was the sacrifice," Smoker concluded. "And when it says the birth of a new King..." 

"It means the Pirate King. A new King, meaning a new era. It means that her reincarnation is already born." You flipped the book to the very back where there was an intricately drawn map. "I found this map when I accidentally spilled my Ma- I mean friend's drink." Smoker studied it in fascination. 

"I think someone wants someone to find the island, but only for specific people." You blinked, looking at him. 

"You think so?" He nodded his head as he frowned at the map. 

"You know I never would have thought I would be having such a deep discussion about a book with you, considering we both met to day." You gave him a big smile. "It was interesting, but why did you tell me?" You tilted your head, looking up at the ceiling, not really knowing why yourself.

"I don't know, but it was fun uncovering a mystery, right Smokey?" 

"I- Yeah." He supposed it was. 

\---

"I am pissed." 

"We can see that Captain," Yasopp spoke.

"How did I even loose to a dragon?" Ah, he was in shock, Yasopp concluded. It must have been a mighty powerful dragon. He held up a bottle of alcohol. "You wanna drink now that you've calmed down a bit?" Shanks was going for a bottle of booze before Benn abruptly stopped him abruptly. 

"What is it Benn? Can't you see I'm trying to get myself miserably drunk?" Benn shook his head, holding up the book that was previously drenched in alcohol. Shanks narrowed his eyes at the book in distaste. "What about it?" There was a bit of malintent in his voice, but Benn was unfazed. 

"I think you might want to take a look at this." Benn showed the red haired man the odd stains. Shanks studied it for a moment before widening his eyes. This was the key. This message was the key. 

Shanks knew what to do. He internally thanked you, making sure to pay you back for you unintentional help. 

"Benn, get my sword and some booze. We're going to have a little _talk_ with this dragon." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we finally get to know the story of the Little Princess. 


	18. A Day With The Marines

**Chapter Twelve: A Day With The Marines**

_I have no idea what I'm writing, and this all just sounds like some police show or something (I think I've been watching too much Lucifer). I also just wanted to say that Watanabe Haruto (lastname, firstname) is my own character that I just made up on the spot. I'd say he looks like Dazai from Bungo Stray Dogs but with a little longer hair. He's not that significant, but will come up occasionally._

* * *

Smoker couldn't sleep. 

Maybe it was because of the thoughts that ran through his brain. Maybe it was because of the fact that you're sleeping beside him and he doesn't want to turn and accidentally crush you. Or maybe the flashing lights emitting from those bracelets of yours is too damn annoying. 

Red.

Blue.

Green.

Yellow.

Purple.

Orange.

The colors just kept changing over and over and over. Why were they doing this? Was it because you were sleeping? Did you know it did this? And why did you have a bird on your lap? 

Smoker is confused. 

\---

Tashigi is confused.

Confused, actually, is an understatement. 

"Smokey! What are we working on today?" 

Why was there a girl clinging onto her captain so desperately as he's doing paperwork? Actually, the question was why wasn't he pushing her away. Especially with how annoyed he was looking right now. 

"I can help you with anything! I have experience!" Smoker let out a puff of smoke, giving you a very skeptical look. 

"You're saying you have 'experience' doing reports?" You furiously nodded your head. Smoker was giving you very odd stares. "So you're saying you were a marine at some point?" You opened your mouth to say yes, before pausing. Saying yes would be a very _very_ bad idea. Smoker took your silence as a no, and huffed.

"I know you're trying to be helpful, but if you can't do it then you can't do it." Smoker turned his attention back towards his reports. You furrowed your brows at the one beside you, picking it up to inspect it. Smoker paid you no heed as you did your thing. 

"Hey Smokey... why does this one say 'Robbery on the Twelfth' when this report was made on the ninth?" You stared at the paper in wonder. "It also says that they solved the robbery violently with two casualties and that the perpetrator was arrested around 2:00 down on Eleanor, but we were down that street at the time too right? Did you see a robbery?" He grabbed the paper from your hands, inspecting it.

"Tashigi, who made these reports?" 

"I-I um, I don't know sir but I'll go find out now." Tashigi took the report out of his hands and rushed out of the room. You went back to looking at the reports, not paying any mind at how fondly Smoker was watching you. But no matter how much he liked you (he'd never admit that) there was suspicion. 

"You're pretty smart." You looked up, gazing into his blue eyes. 

"I am?" 

"You pick up details and information easily, and piece them together quite well. I can see how you easily put together how the legend and The Little Princess match up." He turned in his seat so that he could properly face you. "You said you had experience. Were you a marine?" You didn't exactly want to tell him, but you didn't want to _lie_ either. But hey, he wouldn't find out that the two of you knew each other!

"... I was in the marines, but I quit, seeing that it really wasn't for me." You fiddled with the paper in your hands. 

"Well you're very intelligent. If you had stayed with the marines, I'm sure you would have made a name for yourself." Smoker couldn't help but begin to see how similar his first love and you were. But you guys couldn't possibly be the same person, right? How many people are drafted in the marine each year? It would be nearly impossible to find his love again, with how their last encounter turned out. 

Did she even want to see him again? 

"Well I'm not really looking for fame at the moment." 

Because fame would be coming to you, with the path that you were choosing. 

A knock at a the door caused Smoker to sit up straight. "Smoker-san? This is urgent," Tashigi spoke hurriedly behind the door. 

"Come in." She immediately opened the door, closing it right behind them. 

"Smoker- _san_ , nobody knows who ran the reports, but the person who was arrested is going to be executed for first degree murder. Witnesses also claim that he had killed two people." Smoker furrowed his brows. That didn't seem right, especially since he didn't see any robbery. But there were two dead bodies, so either the report was incorrect, or somebody was trying to frame someone. 

"Who was the officer on scene?" 

"Er... Watanabe?" 

"And wouldn't that mean _he_ was the one to have made the report?" You winced as you got a mild migraine, before widening your eyes at what you saw. Smoker turned towards you. 

"Lady Phoenix, what do you- what's wrong?" You stood up, running out the door. If your foresights were usually right then you had to get there quick. You could hear Smoker call out to you, but you didn't stop. 

Someone purposefully created a fake report, knowing that no officers were usually down Eleanor. However, that day Smoker had decided to take you down there, meaning that they couldn't have know where Smoker was going to be. Witnesses can easily be bought off either by threats or massive amounts of money, but you doubted that there'd be any insanely rich people in Loguetown. 

You ran out the building, glancing around. 

_Phoenix, where are you? I need you to direct me to the port._ A squawk from over head caused you to sigh in slight relief. 

Watanabe, however being the first person on the scene (or fake scene you should say), was not the perpetrator, but a decoy. But Watanabe was a good man with a good streak, you sifted through the papers when Smoker wasn't looking, so he must have been threatened. But moral had triumphed his fear. 

And now he was going to pay the price. 

But you weren't going to let a good man die when you knew you could prevent it. Perhaps the days in the marines had done you some good. The analyzing, the intuition, and putting your powers to use. 

Besides, it was your dream to help people, was it not? 

You skidded to a stop, hiding behind a building as you heard distant voices. Peaking around the corner, you saw them. 

"You think you can stop me by telling the marines?" the black haired man spoke in distaste. You remembered that voice from your vision. 

"I know why you're doing this, but it's not going to solve anything," the other one spoke. He was taller than the black haired male, with brown locks that went down to his shoulders. That had to be Watanabe. "I don't care if you're threatening me because I know that you won't kill me. We're brothers. But I can't just sit around and pretend that you killed our parents. Why couldn't you have just told me instead of manipulating me? We could have worked something out." 

"You wouldn't understand what they did to me, Haruto." The man growled out. "And you never will." He ran towards his brother with the intent to kill, pulling out his knife. Watanabe just stood there with a sad smile on his face. 

"I know." 

**Clash!**

The sound of metal metal was heard, and the black haired male growled in confusion. Before him was a girl holding a bokken to his knife. But weren't bokkens made of wood? With a simple flick, you had launched the stunned male into the side of the building, embedding him several inches in. You winced at how uncomfortable the bracelets got, digging into your skin. 

If you were at your full power you would have blasted him into the other side of the island. 

Thankfully, you weren't. You didn't want to have accidentally killed someone. Turning around, you looked up at Watanabe. "Ah... you're Watanabe right?" Who were you kidding, you saw his info, of course it was him. But you had to check so that you didn't come off as creepy. 

"Uh, yes..." He was still stunned at how easily you launched his brother. "D-Did... H-How?" 

"Phoenix!" Smoker called out. "Watanabe." The captain had seen everything that had transpired. He couldn't believe it. How did you know what was going to happen? How did you know where to go when you hadn't a clue just the day before? 

"I-I'm sorry Smokey for running away!" You bowed your head. "B-But I didn't want someone to die when I knew that I could solve it! Please don't be mad... I even made you chase me all across town..." You widen your eyes when you felt him ruffle your hair, before pulling you in a soft embrace. 

"Don't worry about it." He immediately released you when he realized that he had an audience. That being Watanabe and Tashigi. They looked at him with a very befuddled expressions. He coughed into his arm. "Er, good work." You beamed up at him. 

He wasn't angry! 

You were about to hug him before you stopped yourself. Right, he didn't like audiences. You dropped your arms to your side, before fiddling with the bokken. Looking up, you saw that the three marines were approaching the building that you launched Watanabe's brother at, and you immediately went to follow them. 

"He's alive... right?" Smoker checked his pulse. 

"Alive, but unconscious." You breathed a sigh of relief. 

"That's good." All of a sudden your stomach growled in hunger. You felt your face redden in embarrassment as the three of them turned their heads towards you. "Sorry. I didn't eat breakfast this morning because I was so excited to help you, Smokey." 

"I guess we could go out an eat..." Smoker mumbled. You cheered. 

Tashigi meanwhile furrowed her eyebrows at the interaction between the two of you. 

\---

"What are you going to get?" You asked Smoker who was sitting beside you. 

"Smoked chicken." You nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. It's has your name in it. Er kind of." Smoker choose not to respond to your comment. Meanwhile, Tashigi was looking very peeved. She leaned closer to Watanabe, eyes flickering between you and Smoker. 

"I think there's something wrong with Smoker- _san_ ," she whispered. "He's not getting annoyed like usual." Watanabe shrugged, staring at the menu in his hands. 

"He might have a thing for her." Tashigi's eye went wide.

"You can't say that! This is the captain we're talking about!" Watanabe rolled his eyes at Tashigi who was currently ranting about why he isn't the type of person to date someone. Especially someone so childish.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought you had a thing for him." Tashigi's face went pink. "Oh. OH." 

"It's not what you think! Don't say it like that! I just really respect him!!" she whisper-yelled. Thankfully, Smoker was preoccupied with entertaining you with some of his cool Devil Fruit powers. 

"Whoa make a cloud!" He made a face before complying with your wishes. "How about a flamingo?" The cloud morphed into a flamingo as your eyes sparkled in awe. Smoker was glad and kind of worried at how easy to please you were. What if someone offered you candy and kidnapped you? 

The chances of you getting kidnapped versus a child was too high. But surely you would be smart enough to get out of the situation, right?

Soon enough, a waitress came by to take orders. She was a very pretty woman, with dark skin and hair in a nice little bun. After getting everyone's orders, she left, not before her gaze flickered a second bit too long to Smoker's liking. But maybe he was reading into it too much. He was quiet as you talked with his two other subordinates, and he would be lying to say if he wasn't slightly interested in your conversation. 

"Tashigi, what's _your_ favorite food?" The girl in question blinked in shock that you would actually be interested in talking to her. 

"O-Oh, um.. I don't really have a preference, but I do occasionally enjoy some hot coffee." Her face became red at how intensely you seemed to listen to her. Why was she feeling this way? Was it because she never really interacted with someone so personally before? 

Tashigi spared her stoic captain a glance. Smoker never really seemed interested in having a conversation with her. It was always something work related. Heck, she didn't even have any genuine friends at the base. Watanabe's been working at the base for a while now and this was the first time they've genuinely had a conversation. 

So it was different to suddenly get attention from someone. But still, she couldn't understand why Smoker would go to lengths to tolerate you. Then again... She could only focus on the happy smile that was on your face as you laughed at something Watanabe had said. 

"Tashigi?" She blinked, realizing that she had been staring at you for quite some time. 

"Sorry, yes?" 

"Can I call you Shigi-chan?" 

"EH?!" You looked away sheepishly. "Sorry, is that a bit weird? I kind of thought it was a cute nickname." Tashigi's face was red as she stuttered to get her words right. 

"No- Ssorry I-I don't... why?" 

"Well... I like to give my friends nicknames." You pointed at Smoker. "I call him Smokey. But I think Smo-chan is cute too." Smoker gave you an irritated face, but didn't interrupt you. "So I though it'd be nice to give you one too if that's okay." 

You thought of Tashigi as a friend? The swordswoman felt her heart warming at the thought. 

"I-It's totally okay! I love it!" You gave her a big smile. "Do you want one too, Watanabe?" The man nodded his head, mostly because he thought it would be rude to say no, and you excitedly tried to come up with one.

"So your first name is Haruto? Then you can be Haru!" Tashigi couldn't help but smile at your anatics, her heart fluttering. 

What was this feeling in her chest? 

\---

The mossy dragon watched the yonko in amusement and curiosity as he stabbed his sword into the ground as a sign of peace. In his hand was a bottle of alcohol, and the beast could tell that the man didn't mean any harm. Well, not anymore at least. 

Shanks took long and confident strides towards the beast, before pausing at the stump he had passed before. He sat down before it, noticing that the piece of chalk was still there. Placing the bottle on top of the stump, he gazed at the dragon expectantly. The creature tilted its head, before taking steps towards the man. 

He knew that Shanks couldn't kill him. He was created for the soul purpose of protecting, he cannot be killed no matter how powerful the opponent. The only person who could kill him would have to be another Ancient One, but they had died with the last.

Though Shanks couldn't kill him, that didn't mean that the dragon could kill the yonko. Yonkos were probably the only people who were on par with the dragon. So as a result, they were at a somewhat of a stalemate. Before long, the mythical creature had stood before him, before a green light had enveloped it. When the light had disappeared, a human had replaced the dragon. 

Well, not counting the green horns, wings, and tail, then yes, human. His golden eyes bored into Shanks' own with interest, sitting down on the grass to amuse the human before him. His large black tail with a green underside swished back and forth before finally settling down to a rest on the ground. Brushing his white hair aside, he grinned, pearly whites gleaming. 

"So you've finally stopped sulking. How amusing. Now what do I owe the pleasure of having someone like you on my island?" The dragon paused, before realizing he hadn't introduced himself yet. "Ah, I should probably introduce myself. I am [Sage](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cQGJ7YwMzdc/XiHLBt1IzqI/AAAAAAACnUk/qRDzr5ysLGIbtzjm3XWOXOXkl46_HWJGACLcBGAsYHQ/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/green-dragon-thumbnail.jpg). It is the utmost pleasure to meet you, Red-Haired Shanks. Though, not much of a pleasure to being decapitated. It is _very_ unpleasant to regrow one. I'm sure it was also unpleasant to see it as well." 

"Oh? So you've heard of me?" Sage laughed. 

"Who hasn't heard of you? I have a friend who _absolutely_ loves to gossip about you. Though most of your endeavors I've heard of are more private, but they were certainly entertaining." Shanks quirked a brow. 'More private matters'? What did that mean? There's been someone watching him this whole time and he didn't notice? 

"You look a bit peeved. Trust me, it's not that bad." Sage was leaning on one arm, inspecting his nails. "Then again, my definition of bad would a be a bloody massacre." 

Oh no. 

"So tell me, what brings you to my home? Are you perhaps looking for treasure? If you are, I'm going to have to politely turn away-" Sage paused as Shanks pulled out the ruined copy of The Little Princess he got from you. Turning it to the page where you wrote your message, he showed it to Sage. 

"I want you to explain this." Sage gingerly grabbed the book, inspecting it in fascination. 

"How queer." He tilted his head to look at Shanks. "It seems as though you are indeed a special case, Shanks. Dare I say, exception." Sage stood up, holding a hand out to the man on the ground. "Though I am not one to consume alcohol, allow me to give you my word that I will not harm you or your crewmates during your stay here." Shanks took Sage's hand, pulling himself up. 

"I'm sure you have many questions, and I will be sure to give you a small tour. I have been waiting for someone like you to show up." 

"Hmm... someone like me you say?" Sage's golden eyes glinted. 

"Yes... someone who's willing to change _destiny_." 

\---

"Is that all you have to report, Fullbody?" 

"Y-Yes ss-sir..." The pink haired man cowered before the admiral before him. Fullbody couldn't believe that he'd actually find himself standing in front of such a powerful man in his life. 

"Are you sure they had H/l H/c?" Akainu spoke, eyes trained intensely on the lieutenant. 

"Y-Yes and they threatened me sir..." The admiral glared down at the man. "Did I ask for what they did to you? You pathetic weakling. Disgrace to the marines. You should feel lucky that I didn't demote you after the humiliation you received." 

"T-Thank you sir.." 

"Tch. You may leave." Fullbody quickly left, shutting the door rather forcefully. If he had stayed in there any longer, he probably would have shit his pants, that's how intimidating the admiral was. Akainu sighed to himself wondering if it was really you who was at Baratie. You weren't really one to threaten people, but how many people had Garp's transponder snail that looked like you? 

He clenched his teeth. 

Why did you leave him dammit? And to become one of those disgusting pirates nonetheless! It just irritated the volcano man to no end. Oh the things he would do to you when he finally captured you. He'd beat you up until you apologized over and over and over again. But even then that wouldn't be enough. He would be too pissed off. 

He's been searching for so long, and after two years you show up, he's definitely not going to let you go. He unclenched his teeth, moving to a more relaxed posture. 

_"You know stress isn't really good on your health, Saka-chan." Akainu looked up from his desk to see you standing besides the door. "You should smile more often or else you get wrinkles and look like an old man." You walked up to him, push_ _ing your fingers on his skin, forcing him to look like he was smiling._

_"Get your hands off me." He swatted you away._

_"Haha... I saw you smile a little bit."_

_"I didn't smile. You're delusional." He spoke gruffly, turning away back towards his work._

_"Hm... maybe. But I wanna see you smile one day. Will you do that for me?"_

Akainu was going to get you back. He didn't care if he got his hands dirty. As long as he had you back, then that was all that mattered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like the picture of Sage is just kind of how I imagine him, but with like blackish/green horns and wings. Also, this chapter was just a little bonding time with two of the love interests. In the next chapter or the one after that we get to see the Strawhats again. 


	19. Raging Admiral and the Photo Issue

**Chapter Thirteen: Raging Admiral and the Photo Issue**

* * *

Akainu grumbled to himself as smoke escaped his lips, holding the cigar in place as he sifted through some papers, desperate for a picture. Behind him, a large banner that exclaimed in large characters said "Thorough Justice". His eyes glanced up at the one photo on his desk, feeling irritating rage explode off of him.

He was _not_ going to use that photo. 

Now why was Akainu, one of the three Marine Admirals, looking for a photo? 

Well, after getting an anonymous call that Baratie had experienced a disaster, he had heard some interesting information, leading him to call the lieutenant who was present at the time. That disgrace had looked so pitiful before him, looking as if he were about to piss his pants. It was fucking ridiculous. Not even you would looked like that before him.

But that wasn't what Akainu had focused on.

Fullbody reported that it was someone who looked like you, a female with H/l H/c hair with beautiful E/c eyes, and a very innocent personality, who threatened him with Garp's transponder snail.

Okay, so maybe that last part didn't make them _that_ innocent. 

But he obviously, he knew it was you. Who the else would have the same features and personality as you, _and_ have possession of Garp's Transponder snail? He was pretty sure there wasn't anybody who looked like you within the Marine force, he made sure of that. The Admiral didn't want anything to jog his memory of you.

Well, unless it meant capturing you, which lead to his latest predicament: Finding the right photo

He slammed his desk in anger, frustrated that he threw away ever single photo he had of you after you had left the marines several years ago. Now he was seriously regretting it. All he had to use for a wanted poster was this _photo_ that _somebody_ purposely left for him that he was definitely _not_ going to use. Chucking it away, he thought of Kizaru. 

Kizaru had a lot of photos of you. There was so much in his room that Akainu questioned how the fuck he's always constantly taking photos. Akainu took one once, and Kizaru immediately noticed. It was like the light Admiral went through ever single _fucking_ _picture_ each day, and he was scouring the building for the missing photo. 

It was a good thing he put it back before Kizaru suspected him, not that the man ever would. 

Akainu shook his head, hands balling into fists. 

He was _not_ going to ask that man for a photo. His pride wouldn't allow it. _And_ he was sure he wasn't going to get it without any teasing involved. His eyes gazed at the photo on his desk.

But then again, he wasn't going to use this photo either. 

\---

_His footsteps echoed along the halls, tired from the constant training. Today was his somewhat of a rest day. Overhead, the lights would occasionally flicker, but they would never actually turn off. A sigh escaped his lips. When were they going to fix those lights? '_

 _Walking past a storage room, he paused, stopping in his tracks. It was soft, barely audible, but Smoker could clearly hear it. Someone was crying. He tensed._ Just ignore it _, he told himself, but he had soon found himself opening the storage room door. Damn his conscious for not ignoring this. What kind of marine even cries anyways? A pathetic one?_

_The door creaked open, and Smoker peered into the darkness. The crying was louder now, and he couldn't pinpoint exactly where._

_"Who's in here?" The crying abruptly halted, only small hiccups audible in the room. "Where are you?" He received no response. Was there some stowaway on Marine Ford? A child? Passing by the crates, he soon found himself beside a crouched figure, head buried into their knees. He bent down, seeing that it was a young girl probably a couple of years younger than himself. Her features were kind of obscured in the dark, but he could see the glimmer of tears down her face._

_"You shouldn't be in here," he spoke, voice moderately deep as puberty had began to take it's toll on him. "How did you get here?" She lifted her eyes to peer up at him, one her hands coming up to brush the tears away._

_"I opened the door." Her voice cracked slightly. Smoker's eyebrow twitched. "That's not what I meant." He sighed. "Let me rephrase, why are you here? Why are you crying?"_

_"I-I'm sorry... I just feel a little lonely..."_

Smoker snapped his eyes open, groaning softly as he felt something heavy on his chest. Looking down, he saw the peaceful expression on your face as you drooled all over his shirt. Great. Now he had to wash his shirt. Looking over at the clock on the wall, he saw that it was roughly 3 am. 

Tiredly, he leaned back, resting an arm over his eyes. 

That dream; he remembered that memory as if it were yesterday. He clenched his jaw. All the memories of her he had locked away just kept resurfacing after you showed up. Just when he thought he was over his first love she just had to spring back. Every single thought about her made his heart ache in frustration and betrayal. 

Smoker lifted his arm to stare at you. Those bracelets of yours continued to glow softly, and he realized that he never really asked you about them. It didn't seem dangerous- it was quite calming actually. He cracked a small smile, running his hands through your hair. The red bird you always had around curled softly beside your stomach, and he found it cute. 

Maybe the world was telling him that it was time to get over his first love, sending you here to him. 

He closed his eyes drifting back to sleep...

"Good morning Smokey!" Smoker woke up with a start, seeing your bright and cheerful face. You wiped the corner of your mouth. "Sorry I may have drooled on you a bit." He looked down at his shirt. There was a big wet spot on his shirt. 

"It's fine." Yes, it strangely felt fine. Like he didn't care. You gave him a smile. 

"Sorry. Anyways, I'm planning on looking around in town. I have a few friends who should be arriving soon." Smoker watched as you dug through your bag. Somehow, he found the action slightly suspicious. There was something on your mind, he knew that much. However, Smoker thought it was best not to pry, you seemed okay, so perhaps it wasn't that important. 

"Sorry I can't go with you today. Can you tell Shigi I said hi?" 

"I can do that." You cracked a small smile. "Thanks!" He watched as you grabbed your bag, slinging it over your shoulder, and headed out the door with your bird. "Oh and Smokey?" You asked, sticking your head through the door. "Thanks for being my friend." Smoker narrowed his eyes, remembering how dim your smile looked. 

Those last words had felt more like a goodbye than a thanks. There was definitely something wrong. 

\---

"Next time they raise the price is raised, I'm not going to buy it, you hear?" Nami spoke to the news coo distastefully. The news coo immediately saluted in affirmation, not wanting to face the wrath of the all powerful Nami, before quickly flying off. Usopp shook his head. 

"Geez, it's just a news paper." 

"But if you get it all the time, the cost adds up!" Usopp glanced at Nami in confusion. 

"Yeah, well you don't have to save up money to buy your village back from Arlong anymore." Usopp poured hot sauce to make his special Tabasco Star. "So why keep worrying about money?" Nami made a face. 

"Idiot, that's exactly why I'm doing this. I'm saving money for myself! I can't be living like some cheapskate pirate! Besides- I have to pay our first mate back for lunch." Usopp raised a brow. 

"Hold up, you mean that cute girl we saw at Baratie?" 

"Yes! She was so generous to have paid for it! Ah! I'm glad we're finally going to get another girl on this ship!" Nami squealed. "It sucks having all this testosterone around." Usopp gave her a look.

"Uh huh." Suddenly, Luffy fell from Nami's tangerine trees onto Usopp, who spilled the sauce all over his eyes. 

Oh, dear. He was screwed.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH" the sniper screamed, eyes literally on fire. 

"Why can't I have any tangerines?!" Luffy pouted at Sanji as the chef made his way down to the deck. 

"This is Nami-san's tangerine grove, so I won't allow you to put a finger on it." Sanji clasped his hands together. "Isn't that right, Nami-swan~?" 

"Thank you Sanji." Nami smiled happily as she flipped through the newspaper. Zoro scoffed, knowing full well that Nami was just using Sanji as a tool. Zoro was internally glad that you weren't like that. He didn't know if he could handle two Namis. 

"The world's in such chaos now..." Nami mused, flipping to the next page. A slip of paper suddenly flew out. All eyes were on it as it floated along the floorboards of The Going Mary. 

"Eh? A flyer?" Luffy wondered. The piece of paper flew until it landed softly on the floorboards. It was Luffy's wanted poster.

"..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" The shock caused Nami to drop her newspaper on the ground, revealing another wanted poster. The five of them immediately recognized the person on the front. 

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" They had to take a double take at the picture. Luffy busted out laughing when he actually saw the picture. 

"HAHAHA! Look at that picture!! It's so stupid!" 

\---

You sat in an alleyway nervously as you heard the footsteps of marine soldiers pass by, hand gripped tightly around the wanted poster in your hands. You had seen it coming. You knew that you would get a wanted poster today. You just wish it didn't have to end this way. Your hands clenched into fists. 

And just when you started rekindling your friendship with Smoker. You let out a soft sigh. 

Maybe the world was just telling you it was never meant to be. You pulled out your den den mushi, deciding to give your grandpa another call concerning you new wanted poster. 

"Purupurupuru- Gacha." 

_"Y/n my precious granddaughter? It's been too long!!!"_ You sweat dropped a little. 

"It's only been a couple of days grandpa, but I called because I wanted to.. ah, ask you about something." The paper crinkled in your hands, but it gave Garp a good idea of what you wanted to ask. The man sighed. 

" _You want to know about your wanted poster?_ " You bit your lip.

"Yeah.." 

_"About that..._ "

Over at Marine Ford where Garp sat at his desk was the new wanted poster list, and on the very top of the stack was none other than you. The photo showed a young you slung over a familiar flamingo's shoulder while the three admirals chased after him. In the left hand corner of the picture was Garp angrily yelling as he was being held back by Sengoku, and on the top right corner was Mihawk and Shanks drinking sake watching the whole ordeal. 

Actually, Garp was mildly surprised that Akainu had actually chosen the familiar picture, considering the man's distaste for those pirates. However, the strange part of the picture was not the pirates and marines all in one photo, but the fact that they had no idea who had taken it. There weren't many photos taken of you in your early years (unless you counted the ones Kizaru had of you, then sure, but that man ain't planning on letting any of those go), so to have that picture suddenly show up on all their desks was... unsettling. 

On the top of the poster was the single word "ALIVE", with your full name and bounty underneath the picture. L/n D. Y/n. Bounty: 500,000,000 berries. It was a ridiculous sum of money, but if Sengoku didn't have a say in it, it would have probably been even higher. Someone with a natural gift of power, an amazing intellect, having a possible unknown affiliation with the legend, being mentored by the Great Hawk Eyes Mihawk, as well as having connections to other powerful pirates, should have been well over 500,000,000 berries.

But the most shocking thing of all was that it had the word "ALIVE" on the top, though it should have been expected, especially with your affiliation with the three Admirals. Akainu was the one who requested it as Garp recalled a certain rice cracker loving Fleet Admiral mentioning. What the magma man was going to do to you when you were captured, Garp didn't want to know. He knew that the Admiral had always had a soft spot for you; all the Admirals did. So it couldn't be that bad... right?

 _"You're lucky that they didn't raise your bounty up higher. You're going to have to thank Sengoku for that."_ Your lip trembled. 

"Yeah.. I'll make sure to thank him... Sorry gramps, I gotta hang up." You could feel the waterworks coming. 

_"Course. Stay safe."_

"Gacha." Crouching down low, your limbs shook a bit. Everything was so sudden. You didn't want to have a bounty on your head. You didn't do anything wrong, but now the person you called friends were probably hunting you down in Loguetown. Again. 

"Oi." Speak of the devil, there he was, in all his smoking hot glory. Your eyes glistened as tears cascaded down your cheeks. The man felt his heart twinge at what he was about to say, but couldn't do so as he was quickly enveloped in a bone crushing hug. You didn't know why you were hugging him, even though you knew that he knew, you just needed support. Even if it were for a second, you just wanted it. To feel secure.

Aggressively, he yanked you off and pushed you to the side, a glare forming on his face. The white haired man grabbed your wrist, pulling the you down the alleyway. You let Smoker lead you to a more secluded area, before he pinned you against a wall. Your bracelets rattled at the sudden movement and you recalled a similar situation with a certain flamingo. Your lip quivered at the intense look of hate and betrayal on his face. 

It all felt too familiar. 

"I-I-" 

"Shut up," he growled. Why were you making this so hard without even trying?! "Why didn't you tell me you were a pirate?"

Ah. You were in deep shit now. "I-I- Uh-" You stumbled over your words as you tried to sort out her words. He slammed his fist against the wall, threatening you to spill at that very moment. Tears were welling up in the corner of your eyes now at the fact that you were going to lose the same friend once again. 

"Why didn't you tell me it was you?!" You paled. 

**He _knows_. **

"I-I thought you would leave me if you did," the you cried, making Smoker stiffen. Sure, he felt betrayed that someone he had warmed up to in the span of one week because of their aloof personality was in actuality a pirate, and that they could have been faking their personailty the whole time to gather information on the marines, but seeing that same 500,000,000 million bounty pirate really was just an insecure sweet heart that couldn't hurt a fly made him question the marine's choices. 

It was you nonetheless! Was that man really that desperate to capture you? 

Just one glimpse of that wanted poster sent him into a state of nostalgia. He remembered that picture because he had walked in on it, and was nearly trampled by the flamingo man himself. Speaking of flamingo, that pink blob he had saw fall out of the sky must have been him. He must have dropped you off, but why? Did it have something to do with the friends that you had coming over?

Smoker's eyes found your tear stained cheeks as he watched you cry, and he was suddenly having a fierce internal battle with himself. He just couldn't believe he was falling for his best friend all over again. The world just really enjoyed fucking him over, didn't it?

There were so many things Smoker just wanted to say to you, and his heart clenched to know that he was the cause of those tears. He wanted to apologize, to console you and tell you that he would never leave you again, but he was a marine, and that was what was stopping him from doing so. Marines and Pirates were natural enemies, right? His grip on her loosened, and he let his hands fall down to the side, watching you curl up into a small ball, whimpering out apologies. 

Fuck policy.

Gently, he embraced you running a hand through her hair in an attempt to sooth her. He didn't know what he was doing as he was terrible at consoling people, but it seemed to be having an affect as you were crying less now, only hearing soft sniffles. 

"Look." And he sucked at apologizes too. "I'm sorry for making you cry, but I'm a marine and you're a pirate, Y/n. Though I'm not sure why you're a pirate..." You hiccuped, your teary eyes meeting his blue ones. Smoker's breath hitched. "But I- I have so many things to say to you.. Why did you leave? Why didn't you tell me it was you? When you told me that you were going to leave the marines I was so confused! I thought we were going to capture pirates together, so why did you become one instead?" 

"Sorry Smokey..." He shook his head, sighing. The last time he had seen you before you left was terrible- he was terrible. He practically blew up in your face and made you cry. And now you show up wanting to be friends again, and he was doing it again. Making you cry.

It just felt as if time were repeating itself

"No, I'm the one who should be saying sorry." He paused, realizing the depth of the situation. Most of the marines on Loguetown were aware of this new development, and would be hunting you down. That in itself would be a problem, but... Smoker fought the urge to face palm. 

All of the marines who served under him didn't exactly want to capture you anyways (stupid idiots), and Tashigi, well, she had a mental breakdown. 

So anyways, _technically,_ you were off the hook in Loguetown, but he didn't want any of the admirals to come and find you. He was sure Akainu deduced that since you were in the East Blue you'd pass by Loguetown, and it's been a roughly a week already. Who's to say that Akainu wasn't already on his way? Then again, he would probably be alerted if that were the case...

"Look Y/n, I'm sure you want to talk things over, but I-..." 

"D-Do you need some time to think it over?" He pressed a palm to his face.

"Yeah. Now, because it's you ( ~~and I like you)~~ , I'm going to let you go, okay?" He earned a small nod of confirmation from you. "Good. Now when you get off this island, we're going to be-"

"Enemies?" you croaked out, voice shaking. 

"We can be friends, but it'll have to be a secret." This woman was going to be the death of him, but in his heart, as long as you were happy, he supposed it would be okay. That was the thing about love- you do stupid things. A smile began to crawl up your face. 

"Can I visit you?" 

_Don't say yes. Don't say yes. Don't say yes. Don't say-_

"Yes." God dammit.

You a smile was on your face, and you moved to snuggling into him. A blush made its way onto his face, and he reminisced the feeling. What the heck was he doing, getting soft with his former best friend. But then again, what he did felt strangely _right_ , and that maybe once again, he would have a chance at your heart. 

"Could you just tell me one thing?" You looked up at Smoker in confusion. "Why did you call yourself lady Phoenix?" 

_And when did you get a bird?_ Smoker wanted to add. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this chapter too cringy? Yes? Cool. Oh yeah, and Strawhats will be in the next chapter, that I promise you. Maybe. Most likely after the Story Extra.


	20. Story Extra Number Three - Tea Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Note: I recommend you don’t skip this Story Extra unless you don’t want background information concerning your relationship with the Charlotte Family/Big Mom Pirates. Reader is roughly fifteen or sixteen at this point. Also, I typed this on Google Docs, so I didn't realize it would end up being 30 pages long (I was using a very tiny font). I just had a lot of ideas, and I just really love Katakuri and Cracker. 
> 
> Story Extra Summary: Your first time on Whole Cake Island was a memory few would forget. 
> 
> Features: Big Mom, the Sweet Commanders, Pudding, Doflamingo, Caesar, and of course, you. Snack isn’t here because he’s out on a mission. 

**Story Extra Number Three - Tea Party**

* * *

Big Mom’s dream was to unite all the races together. That was why she had her children after all. Her children knew very well that her dream was selfish, but like most children, they were fiercely loyal to their mother, doing whatever it was that their mother requested, no matter how ridiculous it was. 

There was one thing that the Charlotte family’s mother wanted and loved with all her heart, even more so than her dream (though many would question this love), was you. 

Was it because of your love of sweets? Your power? You obedience? There was just something about you that made her just absolutely melt and gush at your cuteness. It had been like that ever since the day she had met you. Just one glance at you and it was as if some sort of magical spell had been casted upon her. 

LinLin’s children would have been lying if they had said that they were jealous. It was blatantly obvious as to why you, someone nonbiological to the family, would be favored by her. They, of course, wholeheartedly agreed that you were quite an interesting person. Very likeable. You were especially accepted when their strongest brother, Katakuri, had mentioned that he quite enjoyed your company after his day out with you. Heck, even the other sweet commanders had spoken very highly of you. 

That had earned you even more approval than before. 

If the Sweets Commanders liked you, then of course you would be accepted, especially if their mother also agreed. 

For the Charlotte Family, the day that you came to Whole Cake Island with Doflamingo and Caesar was a day that they had treasured most. It was a day the Charlotte Family would never forget.

\---

"You look a little nervous," you spoke, eyes watching Doflamingo as he sifted through some papers in his study. You swung your legs back and forth, sitting on his mahogany desk. The summer dress that you wore adding to your cute aesthetic. Like a cute little princess.

His eyes flickered to you briefly, before going back to whatever he was skimming. “No.” You frowned a bit at the short answer (which was highly unusual), deciding to look over his shoulder. 

“Big Mom…?” you read aloud. That name sounded familiar. You swore that Akainu or one of the Admirals mentioned that name a few times. What exactly for, you supposed that she was a big bounty pirate, considering the fact that the few times you heard it was out of distaste. 

Doflamingo sighed, figuring that it wouldn’t hurt to tell you a bit of the work he’s doing. It wasn’t like you had anyone to blab to, not that you would, of course. That was just the kind of person you were. Setting the papers down, he took a seat in his leather chair. He patted his lap, signifying that he wanted you to sit. Jumping off his abnormally large desk, you walked up to him, plopping down on his lap. 

“So who’s Big Mom?” He sighed, burying his head in the crook of your neck, wrapping his arms around your smaller frame. You were like a doll to him, so precious and fragile in his arms. He could so easily snap your neck, but he would never do that. 

**_Never._** Hurting you was not on his list of to dos. You were on his list of priorities. 

“One of the Yonko. I’m sure you know who they are.” You nodded your head, eyes wandering to the paper on his desk. You spoke as you read the contents of the paper.

“So she’s a powerful pirate like Shanks?” The paper in front of you mentioned something along the lines of something called a ‘SMILE’, and some other dealings. Doflamingo didn’t seem to really care as you lifted up the paper to read it, too tired and anxious of going to Whole Cake Island soon. You hummed, inspecting the paper. It seemed that Big Mom needed to see Caesar along with Doflamingo. Something about a drug. 

“Yes, she’s a rather powerful pirate with powerful connections. I’m departing in a few hours to pay her a small visit. I’ll be taking Caesar with me as well, of course.” You looked at him curiously. 

“Can I go too? I wanna meet Big Mom. I wanna see if she’s like Whitebeard or Shanks.” Now the thing Doflamingo absolutely hated about you was that he couldn’t say no to your requests. You were his little princess to pamper after all. So, he was left with a decision; your happiness or risking the chance of Big Mom discovering and taking a liking to you. 

Of course it was common knowledge that Big Mom liked to have a huge and diverse family. If she found out about you and your special little abilities then she would immediately want to marry you into the family so that you could bear her powerful children. She was like the female version Endeavor, but much more power hungry (also literally hungry) and with a bigger family. 

Then again, maybe she won’t try anything if she learns about your connections with the other yonko. Doflamingo sighed, tensing up slightly upon seeing the puppy dog eyes you were using so desperately on him. 

Sometimes he thinks you aren’t as innocent as you seem to be. You could be so manipulative, especially with your intellect. 

“Fine, you can come.” You cheered, immediately enveloping the man in a hug, to which he sighed in content at, wrapping his larger appendages around your smaller form. He chuckled a bit at your excitement. Maybe having you along wouldn’t be so bad, all things considered. Except for the fact that he wasn’t going to be traveling by boat, but oh well. He supposed he could always knock you out. 

Standing up, you sat on Doflamingo’s left arm as he walked out of his office, using his right to shut the door behind him. Your hands clutched his arm as he strided down the halls, waving occasionally to any of the Family that happened to be passing by. 

After a while, Doflamingo stopped at a door, and you deduced that it was Caesar’s room. Doflamingo didn’t even need to knock on the door as the gas man immediately opened the door, already knowing that the man had been waiting for him. Caesar’s gaze drifted from Doflamingo, to you. He raised a brow, but didn’t comment on it. He didn’t feel like dying just yet. Unluckily, Doflamingo had noticed his gaze, his grin turning into an amused one. 

“Caesar,” you heard Doflamingo speak in a low tone. It was so different from the way he would talk to you that you didn’t recognize it at first. 

“Joker!! We’re taking off already?” If you didn’t know that Doflamingo also went by Joker, you’d have probably been asking at his moment. But you did, because a few people in the underground world who had a grudge against Doflamingo had kidnapped you to try and get leverage over him, always saying ‘Joker this’ and ‘Joker that’. 

They had been so cocky, thinking that they could get away with everything that they didn’t even notice the man himself standing in a corner with a frown on his face, but there was also amusement in his eyes when he saw you playing a game of poker (and winning) with your kidnappers. 

Ah, but that was a story for another time. 

“Yes. I presume that you finished the work I gave you earlier?” The gas man gave him a grin. 

“Of course! A great scientist like me would finish it quickly!” Doflamingo was already leaving at Caesar’s haughtiness. “EH? Doffy! Come back!” 

“Now Y/n, you never want to become a man like Caesar,” the flamingo man spoke rather loudly, causing Caesar to cry out in frustration. Doflamingo chuckled a little bit, knowing how annoyed Caesar must have been feeling, 

“Why not?” you wondered, sparing Caesar a glance at his dejected state. 

“Because arrogance doesn’t suit you, dear.” 

With a little more walking (and silence), the three of you made it outside. Well, you didn’t really walk, as you were sitting on Doflamingo. You couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful city below the plateau. It was just so beautiful. You couldn’t believe that Doflamingo was fortunate enough to be the king to such a country. Speaking of Doflamingo, you looked up at him curiously.

“How are we getting there?” you asked him. A small grin played on his lips. 

“We’re flying.” Ah. You chuckled nervously, beginning to shake a little. You should have expected that answer, considering the fact that the two were able to ‘fly’. The grip you had on Doflamingo’s arm tightened, and Doflamingo frowned a bit. 

“Do you need me to knock you out?” Ah, that was probably a good idea. You nodded your head a bit. “Very well. Make sure to stay still, my little princess.” You squeezed your eyes shut, waiting for him to make his move. 

A swift chop to the neck left you unconscious in his arms. The king moved you around a bit, adjusting you into a more comfortable position. Caesar, meanwhile, was looking very _very_ nervous. That whole interaction just now was absolutely _not_ normal. He was seriously never going to get used to this version of Joker that was both soft and wrong at the same time. 

Who willingly lets someone knock them out? And who the fuck even suggests it in the first place? 

It was so strange, and it wasn’t like he had anyone to tell, especially when he was sworn to secrecy. Well, it was more of a death glare that almost caused Caesar to nearly shit his pants that made him swear, but still. At least he had Monet. Monet knew. Possibly. 

“Eer, Joker. Was that necessary?” Caesar squeaked when Doflamingo’s eyes fell on him. 

“Concerned, Caesar?” Doflamingo chuckled. “I hope you know that though I appreciate your concern for my little princess, if I find out that you decide to act on your precious _feelings_ for her, I will make sure to find a way to torture you slowly and still produce my SMILEs.” The grin on his face was so sinister, Caesar felt himself shaking in fear at his sudden change in mood. He swallowed his saliva loudly. 

It was bad enough that Doflamingo was threatening him, but it was even worse when he knew that Caesar harbored some feelings for you. That man is too damn perceptive. And far far too dangerous and cunning to his liking. Good thing the man was on his side (for the time being at least). 

“Of course Joker! I would never!” Doflamingo laughed. 

“I hope you keep your word, though I suppose it’s a more of a ‘you’ situation.” Doflamingo laughed sadistically, before taking off into the clouds. Caesar immediately followed suit, not wanting to give Doflamingo another reason to be punished. 

\---

When you woke up, the first thing you saw was how beautiful the sky looked. It was a pink cotton candy color, and falling out of the sky was literal cotton candy. All around you was sweets. It was just absolutely wonderful! It was heaven! It was also your next big mistake.

You stretched your hand out, letting one of the pieces fall into your hand. It was soft and fluffy. Hesitantly taking a bite, your eyes sparkled at the delicious sweet taste. It was absolutely wonderful! Doflamingo chuckled as he watched you, walking down the streets of Whole Cake Island. 

Sitting up into a more comfortable position, you looked around the island, in awe at all the wonderful homes made of cake. It was so beautiful; a fantasy that you could have never imagined in your wildest dreams. It was like Wonderland, and you were Alice. Huh, that was kind of funny, since Doflamingo was going to a tea party. 

Patting Doflamingo’s arm, he stopped, getting the message, placing you down on the ground so you could walk yourself. Looking to the side, you saw Caesar walking a little ways behind, looking very nervous. You paused in your tracks, causing Doflamingo to pause as well.

“Caesar? Are you okay?” The gas man jumped at the sound of your voice, feeling very hesitant in answering your question. Especially with what Doflamingo had said earlier. 

“Of course I’m fine you id- Er you don’t have to worry! Ahahaha…” Oof, he almost said something he was most certainly going to regret. You tilted your head. 

“Are you sure? You can hold my hand if you want.” You stretched out your hand. Caesar widened his eyes, glancing from Doflamingo to you. Oh dear lord, Doflamingo looked like he was going to kill Caesar if he held your hand. 

But wait, Doflamingo couldn’t actually kill him. He was invaluable to the man, and if something happened to him, surely you would notice and ask about him. 

Yeah, now that Caesar thought about it, Doflamingo’s threats seemed more miniscule than they had initially seemed. Laughing internally, he grasped your hand. He stared down at your smiling face, and you began to tug him up to Doflamingo. 

“Doffy! Let’s hold hands too!” You shouted, not wanting to leave the man hanging. Doflamingo, albeit irritated, thought it was nice to hold your hand. Hands now intertwined between the two men, the three of you walked down the streets, heading for the Whole Cake Chateau. Citizens of Sweet City parted for the three of you, looking slightly confused as to why you were in between such powerful people. 

Who were you exactly? And why did the two men seem to be so pleased to be holding your hand? 

Doflamingo was well aware of the stares that their little spectacle was garnering, but quite frankly, he didn’t really care. All he really cared about was getting this meeting over with and spending time with you. Just the two of you, with no Caesar. Ah, what a day that would be. 

He chuckled to himself. Mihawk was probably looking everywhere for you by now, having kidnapped you from another one of your training sessions. That shichibukai wouldn’t even guess that Doflamingo had taken you to Whole Cake Island. Well, unless he asked his subordinates, but that probably wouldn’t be the case. 

By the time Mihawk found out that you were in Big Mom’s territory you would have already been heading home. Ah, how fun it would be to see the expression on such a stoic man’s face. He must be so stressed with all the bugging everyone has been doing. It was only yesterday that Shanks and Doflamingo had crashed into his place. Ah, that was a night to remember. 

At this rate you probably weren’t going to get any training done, but Doflamingo didn’t really care. Fuck Mihawk. 

Your eyes widened as you stood in front of the giant cake castle. It was massive! Four layers stacked on top of each other with little holes for windows, and on the top were gigantic candles with flames. It was so cool!! And there were even biscuit guards and little chess pieces! 

The guards opened the doors, and you were in awe with the interior. Everything looked like it was made out of something edible. They eventually lead the three of you to a room, and inside you saw very extremely tall people. Heck, they were even taller than Doflamingo, and he was already tall! 

You felt yourself tense a little when you felt their gazes upon you. It was a little intimidating. Well, ‘a little’ was probably an understatement. Four people sat at a large table from what you could see, the largest person being a lady with a pirate hat. She was probably Big Mom, you deduced. 

Around the table was a sixteen foot tall man with a fuzzy looking gray scarf around his face, his arms crossed as if he were irritated. His eyes looked cold as he stared you down, and you hesitantly gave him a little wave because, well, you didn’t exactly know how to respond to that. 

The other man staring at you was a purple haired dude with a grin on his face that could probably rival Doflamingo’s. The ends of his hair looked like they were a firecracker or something, and you questioned how that was possible. Wouldn’t his hair be on fire? You slightly hid behind Doflamingo as his eyes bored into you with interest, hands tightening. He looked far more intimidating then the other dude. 

The last one at the table you had not yet analyzed was a woman with beautiful long, wavy white hair. She was probably the least intimidating out of the four, and you noted that she was exceptionally beautiful. In your entire life, she was probably the fifth woman you have ever seen, and only the second who was similar to you in age. Your life was mostly surrounded by men and old women. 

Their eyes stared you down, scrutinizing you down to the bone. Their gaze lingered a bit on the hands you had intertwined with your own, and you could see Big Mom begin to grin. 

“Ma ma ma!! And who did you bring with you today, Doflamingo?” You could feel the grip Doflamingo had on your hand tighten, but his nervousness didn’t show on his face. “She must be special to you, considering that you allow her to hold your hand. I have to say, it’s rather foolish of you to bring something precious to you here.” Ah, you hoped you didn’t get him into trouble. 

“Fufufufu~ This is Y/n, rather cute isn’t she? I wouldn’t recommend laying a hand on her, considering the fact that she is currently the student of the World’s Strongest Swordsman.” Doflamingo didn’t want to say it, but Mihawk’s title came in handy sometimes. 

The Commanders and Big Mom eyed you with interest. “Mamama! How interesting. Is she going to be joining us today? I’d like to get to know such a cute little one.” Without waiting for a reply, Big Mom requested for an extra seat, having you squished between herself and that gray scarf wearing man. 

By now you had released the hands of Doflamingo and Caesar, walking timidly up to the table that towered above you by several feet. 

“Katakuri, why don’t you help our cute little guest?” You looked up at the scarf wearing man, seeing his gaze on you now. Ah, he must be Katakuri. 

“Yes, Mama.” 

“Ah, it’s okay! I think I can get up myself. I wouldn’t want to bother you to do something so simple.” Independence was important after all. Staring at the very large chair that was probably sixteen feet tall, with another chair placed on top so that you could actually sit. It was so high up… You hoped you weren’t going to fall off and have your powers fail you or something. 

Breathing in deeply. You let your eyes glow a pale gray, feeling the air on your fingertips. Closing your eyes, you snapped them open propelling you upwards in a blink of an eye. Suddenly several feet over the chair, feeling their gazes on you. With a sigh, you let yourself float gracefully down onto the chair, your eyes transitioning back to a E/c. 

“Ma ma ma! What an impressive display of power!” Big Mom spoke beside you, smiling. “And what Devil Fruit was that?” 

Oh right. You forgot. Sparing Doflamingo a glance, he looked a little bothered, but gestured to you to continue anyway. 

He didn’t want you to reveal that information, but Big Mom must be something for him to tell you to go with the truth. You looked up at Big Mom shyly, to which she internally melted at. 

“I don’t have a Devil Fruit.” It was silent for a moment. 

“Interesting, so you don’t have one you say?” The man with the lit hair (haha get it?) spoke with interest, his eyes on you. “So what gives you those powers then?” You nervously twiddled your fingers. 

“I was born with them.” It took a moment to register in their heads, but Big Mom suddenly laughed. 

“What an interesting little girl you are. Born with powers like yours? Now that is something unheard of. Where were you born?” she asked. 

“I was found in the sea beside Marine Ford.”

“So you’re a marine then?” You shook your head, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling. “I’m not a marine anymore. I want to be a pirate. I made a promise after all, and most of my friends are pirates. I want to be with my friends.” 

The Sweet Commanders perked up when you mentioned that most of your friends were pirates. If they weren’t closely paying attention before, they certainly were now, especially when it seemed as though their mother had taken a very big interest in you. Well, who wouldn’t? A former marine, interesting background, student to a renowned shichibukai; everything about you screamed power and influence. 

“And who exactly are these, ‘friends’ of yours?” You looked up at Big Mom with sparkling eyes, and the Charlottes had to do a double take. That was not a look someone gave Linlin. Usually it would be looks of fear or hatred, not happiness or joy. What the fuck was wrong with this child. 

“They’re all amazing people! And super strong too!!” Your formality had been immediately chucked out the window as you gushed about your friends. “Doffy and Caesar are two of my friends. They’re really great people!” 

The Charlotte children sweat dropped. You clearly didn’t know them well enough if you thought of them as great people. Either that, or they showed you a level of kindness they don’t show anyone else, and considering the fact that you were seen holding their hands, _that_ was probably the case. 

During this conversation of yours between Big Mom, everyone had been quiet, listening in and learning about you. It was quite obvious Big Mom was trying to get information out of you, and you made it quite easy. They couldn’t tell if you were doing it on purpose or because you were just a too trusting person, especially when Doflamingo looked amused by your behavior. He wasn’t as tense as before, but slightly more relaxed, and that was a cause of concern. 

“Oh? And who would be your powerfullest ‘friend’?” You thought to yourself for a moment, furrowing your brows together in a way that made the people in the room internally think for a second that it was cute. Minus Doflamingo and Caesar. They always thought you were cute, even if Caesar wouldn’t admit it. 

“Ah, I can only think of four.” Four? The words echoed in the room of silence. What four people did you know that you deemed powerful? Considering that Doflamingo was one of your friends, that meant that you knew other people on his level. The amount of respect the Charlottes had for you was increasing. You had to be a powerful person yourself to know such people. 

“Mamama!! Four? That’s quite a lot. Why don’t you tell us these four people?” You shrugged your shoulders, not really caring if Big Mom found out or not. You kind of knew she was pulling information out of you, you weren’t _that_ stupid. So most of the information you told her was what you told everybody. 

Most of it was at least. 

You put a hand to your chin. “Well, there’s Kai-chan, Shanks, Whitebeard…oh yeah and you!” 

Caesar spat out the drink he was sipping on, spraying it at Katakuri who was opposite of him. Lucky for Katakuri, he saw this coming and had his mochi block it. Regarding Caesar rather coldly (to which Cracker was laughing slightly at the expression on Caesar’s face), he turned back to stare down at you in interest. 

So you knew the other yonkos, including Red-Haired Shanks, a person even their mother wouldn’t mess with, and was even bold enough to declare that Big Mom was your friend now? You were certainly arrogant or you were naive. It was possible that you had been lying about that last part, and was trying to get a rise out of his mother, but what motive would you have for doing so? 

“It’s okay if I called you my friend, right?” You were basically radiating light now as you stared up at Linlin with the softest expression ever. Big Mom had gone quiet, the shadows covering her face from view until she finally spoke. 

“ _Friends?”_ Doflamingo didn’t look very concerned at the dark tone in the woman’s voice, to the Commander’s confusion. “You have the arrogance to call us _friends_?” 

“Yup.” Big Mom laughed. 

“We’re not _friends_ , little one.” You tilted your head to the side, looking up at Big Mom. Katakuri, stiffened when he saw the future. Oh dear lord. He averted his eyes, something his siblings noticed. 

“Then what are we then?” The smile on your face was a knowing smile, and Caesar was internally freaking out at how you dared to challenge and talk back to a yonko. Granted, he knew you knew the other yonko, but this was _Big Mom_. Nobody messes with her, not even people meeting her for the first time. 

“We’re…. FAMILY! And you shall be an honorary Charlotte!” You grinned as the woman exclaimed those very words, causing everyone else (minus Doflamingo and Katakuri) to choke on air. 

“What?!” Cracker exclaimed. How? Why? He snapped his eyes onto Katakuri. Is this seriously the future he foresaw? What the heck?! How did you suddenly get onto his mother’s good side with all the challenges and shit you were throwing at her (not literally of course).

 ** _“Do you have a problem with that, Cracker?”_**

“Nope! Not a problem!” Cracker laughed (nervously), gazing at Doflamingo who had a shit eating grin on his face. They were going to have a talk later about this. Clearly the man knew this was going to happen. “I just wondered if you were going to have her marry into the family,” he said, speaking what was on everyone’s minds. 

Big Mom turned to stare down at you. “Hmm… What do you think, dear?” The commanders blinked. Dear? God damn it, why were you suddenly getting special treatment that they didn’t get. This was so confusing, where was their mother? What have you done to her? 

“Do I have to?” 

“No.” 

“Then I don’t want to.” Big Mom smiled down at you sweetly. “Then you don’t have to.” Caesar’s soul left his body. How the fuck. What kind of shit was he watching? He swore you were going to die! And Big Mom being sweet and not punishing someone for saying no?! He didn’t do all those things and Big Mom still got slightly irritated by him!

You jumped up, giving the woman a big hug. “Yay! I have a new friend!” Doflamingo looked like he was having the time of his life seeing all these reactions coming out of such renowned people. He sipped on his champagne for a bit. 

“Oh, can I ask you for a favor though?” And know you had the audacity to be asking favors. Just wow you were full of surprises. “I promise it’s not that big of a deal. I just want a tour of Toto Land. I really really really like sweets, and this place is so cool!!” 

If you weren’t already in Big Mom’s good books, you certainly were now. 

\---

“Sorry for making you guys give me a tour,” you spoke apologetically, sitting on Katakuri’s shoulder because everybody else was too tall and you couldn’t keep up with them. Your hands gripped onto his scarf slightly as you looked over at Cracker who was now in his lovely armor. 

“No need to worry, Mama would have requested we give you one either way,” Katakuri said, stopping at a small meadow on a chocolate island. You frowned. 

“But still, you guys must be really busy.” Cracker laughed at your words, causing you to turn to him with confused eyes. 

“Man, you really are interesting, aren’t you princess?” He plucked you off Katakuri’s shoulder, dangling you in the air. To his amusement, you started to panic, breathing becoming heavy. “Haha, and here I thought you were tough- Oh are you crying?” Oh dear, he didn’t mean to make you cry. Katakuri gave him a glare, picking you back up and settling on his shoulders once more. 

“Cracker, _apologise_.” The sternness in his voice caused him to stiffen. He did _not_ want to get beaten up by pissed off Katakuri. 

“Tch, _fine_. _Sorry_.” He spat those words out distastefully. You wiped the tears from your face, smiling at him as if nothing happened. Smoothie watched the scene with an amused expression on her face. 

“It’s okay, it was kind of my fault.. I don’t really like heights, and you guys are tall people…” You trailed off. Cracker made a face under his armor.

_And yet you decided to sit on the shoulders of the tallest one here._

Cracker decided to keep his thoughts to himself. He already got on Katakuri’s bad side (kinda), and Mama would _kill_ him if she found out about this through the- _THE HOMIES_. 

Looking down at the ground, he glared at all the fucking flowers with their creepy ass faces, silently threatening to stomp their faces off. Smoothie sighed at her brother’s actions, looking over at you who seemed to have calmed down a bit. You seemed to like Katakuri the best out of the three of them, and Cracker the least, which was kind of strange, seeing as that most people would have Katakuri at the bottom of their list. 

She watched you as you made small talk with her older brother, who looked at peace with you. He had settled down on the ground with you on his thigh, listening to you rambling about sweets. You mentioned something along the lines of mochi, and the man suddenly demonstrated his Devil Fruit, and Smoothie could see the absolute awe in your eyes. 

You were so easily amused, Smoothie could see why her mother had taken an interest in you. Sure Big Mom was interested in the big names you knew and your power, but it was probably the kindness and the innocence in your eyes that made her like you. The way you looked at Big Mom without caring about who she was, and for acting so natural around her- 

Smoothie watched with perceptive eyes as she saw Katakuri’s give you a closed eyed smile.

It was your friendliness that drew people to you, opening hearts open unknowingly with ease. That power itself was a beautiful and dangerous thing. 

“Cracker! You can make food too?!” you exclaimed after Katakuri had told you about other people in the family who could make food with their devil fruits. It was mostly because he saw that you were especially interested in sweets, and that he knew it wasn’t like you were going to do anything with that information (until the Whole Cake Island Arc). 

Your voice caused Cracker to stop threatening the Homies, grinning at you. Ah yes, finally you say something worth his time. “You wanna see?” The man felt himself smile at your eager yes, and the sparkles around your eyes. It was hard to believe that you were trying to be a pirate, that was for sure.

Stepping up to you in his armor, he was about to demonstrate when you felt the urge to sneeze.

“Acho!” The sneeze that came out held so much power that it caused Cracker and Smoothie’s eyes to widen. Now, it wasn’t like it was loud or anything, it was actually small and quite cute if the trio had to say so themselves. No, it was the power that came out of the sneeze that was eye opening. 

Katakuri made no reaction (having already seen the future) as wind immediately rushed out at Cracker at insane speeds that he barely had enough time to send up his biscuit shield. The sheer force of your sneeze sent armor flying a couple feet, as the commander had dug his feet into the ground to prevent him from going any further. As if Cracker had seemed fine, his armor immediately started to crumble so finely that it was almost like sand at his feet. He stood there for a moment, too shook at what had just happened. 

Smoothie raised a brow. His armor was so easily destroyed by your sneeze? 

“Oh my gosh, I’m _so_ sorry!” you shouted, appearing before Cracker in a blink of an eye. The other two raised a brow when flowers and four leaf clovers sprung out of the ground from around the area you stood in. That definitely was _not_ normal. 

“Are you okay? Oh no, you’re bleeding!” You were panicking now, staring at the cut on his cheek worriedly. “I-I can fix it hold on.” 

You jumped up so that you were sitting on his shoulder, your palms started to glow a golden hue. Cracker still hadn’t said anything as you did so, and you gave him a worried look. Placing a hand on his cheek, you let the golden spread along his skin, the blood crawling back up his cheek and into the cut. Removing your hand, you placed it down on the shoulder you were sitting on. 

“Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.” 

_It was just a tiny cut on his cheek._ Katakuri and Smoothie thought. 

Cracker’s eyes flickered over to you, and he slowly turned his head to look at you, the stinging pain beginning to subdue into nothingness. It was hard to believe something like that was an accident. Just what kind of powers did you possess? Wind, earth (he saw the flowers on the ground), healing, and swordsmanship- that was just so fucking overpowered. 

A grin developed onto his face. Oh yeah, you were strong alright. He never would have guessed that an innocent looking girl would be able to take down his armor so easily. Just what would the outcome be if he sent thousands of his biscuit warriors at you? You probably would decimate them all easily. No, actually you’d probably wouldn’t consider your personality. 

He originally thought that you were going to be some weak ass girl that won over people with innocence (which you were), but here seeing the sheer power that you accidentally released was so… it just made him realize that there would always be people stronger than himself. Well, he didn’t know if you were stronger than him, but you were probably close. 

“Fight me,” those words left his lips before he could even stop himself. You blinked in confusion, opening your mouth to speak when Katakuri beat you to it. 

“Cracker.” There was a warning tone in his voice. He sighed. 

“Nevermind,” Cracker spoke, waving his hand dismissively, changing the subject. “I’m rather surprised that a sneeze like that came out of your mouth, princess. You certainly have some interesting skills. And here I thought you’d be all pampered and weak.” You gave him a sheepish smile.

“I get that a lot. I think it’s because of my personality.” 

_You think?_ Cracker smiled, eyebrow twitching. It was definitely your personality. 

“So can you show me your Devil Fruit?” you asked quickly, eyes sparkling. Huh, people usually thought having food Devil Fruits were stupid and useless. You truly were a strange girl. 

“Damn right it’s going to be cool.” Still on his shoulder, you watched attentively as he clapped his hands together in a rhythm. Small grains of biscuits began to form in the air around the two of you, before clumping together to form actual biscuits. It was so interesting to watch. 

Cracker looked over at you, mildly surprised that you were actually intrigued by his Devil Fruit ability and not faking it. The expression made it seem as though what you were witnessing was the coolest thing you’ve ever seen in your entire life. It caused him to chuckle a bit. You were so naive and child-like, so easily amused. Though innocence was a rather terrible trait to have, it was that very same trait that helped you gain the favor of his mother. 

Maybe it was that same trait that caused his mind to blank and let such thoughtful words out of his mouth. No, it had to be because of the fact that he was under Mama’s orders and act hospitable towards you. But then again, he probably would have done it again if he saw that happy face of yours.

“Ah, princess, do you have a favorite animal?” You thought to yourself for a brief moment. 

“How about a unicorn?” He quirked a brow, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Not an animal, but it works.” Clapping his hands together again, the biscuits began to take the shape of a 3D unicorn. When he was done, let it settle onto the ground, and you gasped when it blinked. 

“Woah! That’s so cool!!” you squealed. Katakuri scoffed to himself, seeing that the mane looked a little weird, he stood up walking towards the two of you, much to Smoothie’s amusement. 

“It is, isn’t it? I’m a true artisan,” he flattered himself, grinning at your happy face.

“Cracker, you messed up the mane.” Cracker made a face, eyes moving towards the unicorn’s mane. What did he do wrong- oh. Was it because he didn’t make it look realistic enough? Since when did Katakuri care? 

Since now, duh. 

Approaching the unicorn, Katakuri used his devil fruit powers to make the mane look a little more realistic, giving it a softer appearance, with the color of pale pink. You were jumping up and down in excitement now. Cracker had to admit, Katakuri was a bit of an artisan himself. Looking down at you, he smirked in amusement. 

“Cool isn’t it?” He patted the unicorn’s back a bit. He must have patted it too hard because it spat out red onto your face. 

“Uh…” Well that wasn’t supposed to happen. Opening your eyes, you licked your lips, tasting jam. Wiping your face with your hands now, you saw that it was red, probably strawberry jam.

You weren’t going to get like, scarred or something like that, right? If you did, Cracker was going to be in serious trouble. 

A smile suddenly spread across your face. “Wow, is that supposed to be blood? It tastes delicious!” The trio deadpanned as you licked the jam off your hand. Well, at least Cracker wasn’t going to be punished, that was for sure. 

“Of course it’s delicious, I made it,” he grinned, feeling very satisfied by your compliment. You looked up at the unicorn in awe.

“Can I eat the biscuits? Ah, I bet they’ll taste delicious!!” Your mouth watered, and the biscuit unicorn looked slightly uncomfortable. Cracker chuckled a bit, not really sure if he should tell you that you won’t be able to eat them because it would be too hard. Ah, he probably should.

“Ah… About that…” You looked up at him questioningly.

“They’re too hard for you to eat.” You blinked, feeling disappointment wash over you. You pouted a bit.

“Oh.” Brightening up, you gave him your best smile. “That’s alright.” There was something in your expression that made him feel disappointed in himself as you patted the unicorn with a grin. He watched you as an expression of realization came upon you as you realized that you didn’t know Smoothie’s Devil Fruit yet. You turned towards said woman with a big smile. 

“Smoothie! What can your Devil Fruit do?” Smoothie’s eyes flickered to you and your jam covered face. Oh dear, someone get this girl a napkin. 

“Do you need a napkin, perhaps?” she asked you. You shook your head, snapping your fingers (and if you can’t, you have disappointed me). The jam immediately floated off your face, coming together like liquid in the air. Opening your mouth, the jam floated into your mouth. 

The three watched you with blank faces. Oh. Well that solved the problem. So now you could control semi solids too? That was.. uh, cool? 

You looked over at Smoothie. “So what can your Devil Fruit do?” Getting over the shock of you demonstrating another one of your fascinatingly weird powers (or the weird way you use them, though not that they could really judge considering their own powers), Smoothie answered your question. 

“I can make juice out of anything.” Her voice was monotone as she demonstrated this by grabbing a large branch and a cup from out of nowhere. Twisting the branch as though she was wringing a towel liquid seeped out into the cup, and your eyes sparkled. Handing you it gently, you grabbed it with ease, despite the obvious size difference. It was probably a couple inches smaller than yourself. 

You looked up at her hesitantly. “I can drink it?” 

“You may.” Not wasting anytime, you tipped it down your mouth, eyes widening at the delicious taste that hit your taste buds. “Wow.. It’s so good!” You turned to look up at the lady, and she stiffened at the absolute happiness and pleasure radiating from you. “You said you can make it out of anything? That must be so useful!” 

Huh, nobody ever told her that it was useful before. 

“Say, does that mean you can turn that unicorn biscuit that Cracker made into juice too?” Cracker stiffened as did the unicorn, eyes wide. Smoothie looked at the unicorn with a small smile that could only be amusement. 

“Yes I can. Would you like me to demonstrate?” 

“Oi oi, don’t think I’m going to let you destroy my beautiful masterpiece!” Cracker said, protecting the unicorn. You laughed at him, causing his face to flush a bit pink. 

“Just wondering, do you think the juice is going to be red?” 

“And here I thought you were supposed to be innocent, not morbid.” You gave him a grin, patting the unicorn biscuit reassuringly. It leaned into your touch, much to Cracker’s surprise. 

“I was just curious,” you giggled. “Especially when it spat out jam. I didn’t know you could make it do that. That’s pretty cool.” Cracker scoffed. 

“Cool? It’s amazing. I’m a rather-” 

“-Incredible artisan?” you finished with a coy smile. He blinked, staring at you, before grinning, very obviously pleased that you understood him. 

“You got it.” He laughed, ruffling your hair. “You know, you’re not that bad. I can see why Mama likes you.” You were just a tad bit too innocent, but that was okay. The Charlotte Family would protect you, whether it would be under Mama’s orders or not. 

You took a small gulp of juice whilst staring at Cracker. Huh, could you maybe…? Well, you wouldn’t know if you didn’t ask. 

“Cracker?” 

“What?” You took another sip of juice from the large glass. 

“Can you make me some of your biscuits?” Cracker looked confused for a moment. Who wouldn’t? What exactly were you going to do with it? Were you going to try and eat it when I told you that you couldn’t? You couldn’t be _that_ stupid, could you? Shrugging it off, he clapped his hands together, making you some biscuits.

The biscuits fell onto a huge heap on the ground beside you, and you began to test your theory. 

“Thanks!” you said as you picked up the large biscuit, roughly the same size as you, and easily snapped it in half. The commanders watched you as you dipped the biscuit into the cup of juice that Smoothie made for you before taking a bite. Your eyes sparkled at the amazing taste. 

The three of them looked at you with a deadpan expression. Well that was one way to get what you wanted. Actually, it was pretty intuitive, but this before them just proved how smart you were when it came to things that you wanted. And how weak Cracker’s biscuits were to liquids. 

You munched on the biscuit drenched in juice happily, peaking over at the three who had been silently watching you. 

“Cracker, have you ever tried to eat your own biscuits?” He raised a brow. 

“What?” 

Actually, he never thought about that. He _should_ try eating one of his own biscuits sometime if you were going on and on about how delicious they were. He grinned to himself. He was a true artisan. 

None of them questioned the fact that you were literally able to eat foods the size of yourself easily, the foods disappearing into nothingness. 

Once you finished the biscuits, you turned to Katakuri, craving some mochi. “Can I have more mochi?” He nodded his head, sitting back down, obviously wanting you to sit on his lap again.

“You may.” Eagerly, you zoomed right up to him, creating a strong wind that whipped at his scarf. And by strong, it was _very_ powerful. Enough to blow it right off. You made an ‘o’ face as you watched the scarf fly off. Eyes widening, you jumped up to grab it. 

“Ahh!! Sorry! I didn’t mean to blow it off!” You bowed your head in apology. Looking back up, you saw a very uncomfortable Katakuri, his head tilted away from you. Holding onto his scarf, you tilted your head. “Uh, what’s wrong?” 

Cracker and Smoothie had stiffened from behind you, but you couldn’t see them and as a consequence, did not know that they had. Katakuri’s eyes were still focused elsewhere as he spoke to you. 

“Do you really not find me ugly?” You furrowed your brows. 

“What do you mean? I don’t see anything that’s wrong with you.” His eyes flickered to you for a second. It was weird hearing that in person, despite knowing the future. He could have easily grabbed his scarf back, and yet he didn’t. Maybe it was because he just wanted to make sure that whatever he saw was true, that maybe you were someone who would really accept him for who he was, _what_ he was. Gaining a little bit of confidence from that, he found the courage to show you his full face, much to the surprise of his younger siblings. 

You were still confused. 

“I still don’t know what you’re talking about.” Katakuri sighed, pointing to his mouth. That was when you realized it. 

“Oh. You meant your mouth?” He looked away, refusing to meet your gaze. “I don’t see what’s wrong with your mouth. I kind of think it’s cute. Can you smile for me?” You put your fingers to your cheeks, pulling them apart and showing your teeth as a demonstration. 

He stilled for a moment, before giving you a sheepish smile. 

You were quiet. A bit _too_ quiet to the sibling’s liking, staring up at Katakuri with wide eyes. What was going on inside your head? 

All of a sudden, Katakuri’s face turned scarlet, leading Cracker and Smoothie to wonder what exactly he saw. Well, they were about to find out, seeing that you had finally started to speak again. 

“AHHHHHThat was so cute!!” Your eyes were sparkling now, staring at the man in awe. Cracker and Smoothie froze. That was not a normal reaction. Also, now that they thought about it, why didn’t their brother stop this from happening himself? He was plenty capable. Did he want to confirm what he saw in the future was true? 

“Can I touch your face?” you asked, arm reaching out a bit. 

_That_ was also not a normal reaction. 

Katakuri grabbed your wrist, holding it in place, before slowly guiding it to himself. You squealed as you traced his jawline and his beautiful features. His eyes were trained on you, mindful of your actions, those same actions causing a blush on his face. There was no hate or look of disgust in your eyes. And just when he thought you were already likeable enough, you gave him a reason to enjoy your company even more. 

Cracker and Smoothie, meanwhile, were in shock. You- how- IMPOSSIBLE!! WHERE WAS HIS BROTHER AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?! Well, actually, they probably should have known this to be the outcome, considering what transpired with their mother, but _still_!! 

Placing your hand back down on your lap, you looked around, making sure that there was nobody in sight, and began wrapping the scarf back around his neck (with the help of your wind powers of course). You looked over at Smoothie and Cracker, beckoning with your hands to join the two of you. 

They did of course, but now with the thought of knowing that there was something really special about you. Smoothie handed you back the drink she made you (inwardly reminding herself to not tell you that she wrung out humans), giving you a soft smile. 

Her mother was right to have you join the family. You were going to fit right in with them. 

You flickered your eyes to the trio who were smiling at you in respect, taking a sip from the abnormally large cup. “Can we continue with the tour now? Doffy said that there’s a place filled with Gelato.” 

And so they continued on with the tour, happy to be of service to you. 

\---

You chatted with the Sweet Commanders, laughing a bit at Cracker as you sat on Katakuri’s shoulder. The three of them walked down the halls of Whole Cake Chateau, having (somehow) given you a whole tour of Totto Land. They showed you the islands they governed and even allowed you to look around the islands. 

It was totally worth seeing that awe expression on your face. You were such a child, but they supposed that was one of the charming features about you. 

During the trip, you learned a lot about themselves too. Apparently there was another Sweet Commander named Snack, but he was busy out on a mission, which was why he wasn’t there for the meeting earlier. 

“I have a question, why are you guys so tall?” Cracker looked at you in amusement. 

“I think a better question would be, ‘why are _you_ so short’, princess.” You made a face. You were a perfectly normal height for a human being, thank you very much. Instead of answering him, you decided to ask _him_ a question that had been on your mind for quite a while.

“Why is your hair on fire? Is it supposed to be a fire-cracker because your name is Cracker?” It was silent for a moment as a deep red blush appeared on Cracker’s face. 

“Damn woman, of course not!”

“Yes,” Katakuri spoke, causing Cracker to scowl at him. Smoothie chuckled a little. 

“Cracker is just embarrassed to say that it looks rather stupid, don’t worry about him,” she spoke to you, a small smile on her face. You nodded your head. 

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” 

“HEY!” Laughing, you stiffened when all of a sudden you felt an agonizing migraine that left you in a daze, and you would have fell off Katakuri's shoulder had he not caught you. You gritted your teeth, knowing exactly what was causing your migraine. 

Eyes closed tight, you braced yourself for the images of the future. 

It looked to be some time in Whole Cake Island, probably four years or so into the future, and you could see a blond haired man ahead of you, along with a cute girl with light brown hair in pigtails. She was smiling so brightly, but….

Opening your eyes, you found Cracker, Katakuri, and Smoothie staring at you in worry. Rubbing your head, you sat up from Katakuri’s palms, looking at them rather sheepishly. “Sorry, I kind of had a vision. I think it’s something that will happen here about four years from now.” 

_A vision?_ Did you mean you saw the future? Katakuri couldn’t help but wonder if you had an ability similar to his own. 

“Eh? So you can see into the future?” Cracker asked. Just how many abilities did you have? He couldn’t help but be moderately impressed. If it wasn’t for the thought of knowing that he would get killed initiating a battle with you, he would have wanted to test your strength. Katakuri placed you back on his shoulder, making sure that you were secure. 

“Yeah I-” You froze, feeling a different gaze upon you. You turned your head to glare at the newcomer, very obviously not liking them at all. “I don’t like you.” The words that spilled from your mouth caused the trio to raise their eyebrows, not expecting you to say that, especially to one of their siblings. 

Pudding looked up at you in confusion, a very distraught look on her face. She looked like she was at the brink of tears. “I-I what? But we haven’t met yet.” She was confused, why did you look at her with such animosity? Everybody loved her persona. So why not you? 

“There’s hatred in you.” Pudding felt her heart stop. You could see through her so easily when such strong people could not?! Impossible! “You looked at me in frustration for a brief moment when I told you that I didn’t like you.” 

The girl was stunned. How damn perceptive were you? This was insane! And you weren’t even using haki! Your gaze was trained on Pudding as she stared at you, very obviously stunned by your accusations. 

“But that’s not why I don’t like you.”

 _Then what was?_ The four Charlottes wondered. 

“T-Then why?” Pudding asked, sniffling a bit, still desperately trying to hold onto her persona. You tilted your head in a mock confused matter. 

“Why?” you echoed. You hummed, swinging your legs a bit on Katakuri’s shoulder. “I think you know the answer to that one,” you spoke, smiling innocently, but the reaction you garnered was the complete opposite of reassurance. It sent shivers down Pudding’s spine; it made the commanders uncomfortable. 

There was something very wrong hearing such threatening words in such an innocent tone. No, it was wrong hearing them come out of your mouth. 

Suddenly, a yawn left your lips, and you snuggled up a little closer to Katakuri’s head. “I’m tired,” you mumbled, completely forgetting about Pudding. “Let’s go to bed.” 

_‘_ … _Let’s…?’_ Did you seriously forget about Pudding? 

Cracker laughed. Just _wow_. Picking you up from Katakuri’s shoulder, this time being mindful as to not make you cry, he held you in his arms. “Princess, did you really forget about Pudding so soon?” You looked confused for a moment, before widening your eyes. 

Oh right. 

Looking a bit more awake now, you looked over at Pudding, a big smile on your face. “You’re Pudding right? Let’s be friends!” 

The Charlottes are beginning to wonder if you have a personality disorder. 

\---

“Well? Are you ready to go, my little princess?” Doflamingo asked, standing beside the door. You smiled at him. 

“Yup, let me say bye to my friends first, though.” You waved at the commanders. “Bye!! I’ll make sure to visit again! Oh yeah, and call me!!” Katakuri nodded at you. 

“Until we meet again,” he spoke. 

“Bye princess, don’t get yourself kidnapped.” 

“Goodbye Y/n.” Pudding smiled at you, waving as though she were a princess. 

“Bye Y/n! Come visit soon!” You grinned at her, forgetting that you ever held animosity towards her as you answered an “I will!” 

Caesar was probably more confused about you than he ever was, and the day that you fell through his laboratory was a confusing day indeed. Just earlier that day he thought you were going to get killed by the Commanders, but _no_ , somehow you got on their good side. Heck, you even got on Katakuri’s good side and that _just_ wasn’t done, especially to an outsider! Ugh, you’re making everyone fall for you left to right. 

He was a bit ashamed to say that he was one of them. 

Doflamingo, on the other hand, was _extremely_ proud of you. Not only did you manage to get on Big Mom’s good side, but get the Sweet Commanders (minus Snack) to favor you as well! Well, he kind of knew it would happen, especially with how interesting you were and that you were constantly befriending people. 

Kidnappers, pirates, it didn’t really matter. One word spoken from your lips and they were under your spell.

Picking you up with ease, him, Caesar, and you flew into the air, clinging onto Doflamingo for dear life. The commanders watched as your form began to disappear into a small speck, becoming rather disappointed that you left. 

Katakuri’s eyes flickered to Pudding, who stood silently staring at your retreating form. Ah yes, and you somehow left a lasting impression on Pudding from your… _interesting_ personality. Sure, it was rather concerning to know that you actually made friends with Pudding (whether Pudding was faking it or not, that was up for debate), but maybe it was a good thing. 

The three commanders sighed in unison. 

They were already so used to your presence that your absence was extremely noticeable. At least you had given them each a transponder snail that looked like you (they thought it was adorable) to communicate to you with. But what were they going to do now? Follow their Mother’s orders? They sighed again, missing you terribly. 

Please come back soon.

\---

**Bonus:**

“Where did you get all that?” Your body jumped, and you snapped your head to look at your Master with wide eyes, slowly shoving the donut into your mouth. 

“Uh… Totto Land?” You watched as Mihawk’s face morphed into one of confusion and shock. 

“Did you steal it?” You furrowed your brows. Why would you steal? That was wrong. Seeing the look on your face, Mihawk felt that there was something wrong. Walking up to you, he plucked the donut out of your mouth. 

“I’m confisticating all of your baked goods.” Your eyes widened. 

“Why? I got them from my new friends though!” you whined. 

New friends…? Oh fuck no. Mihawk pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Did they happen to be the sweet commanders?” You eagerly nodded your head, eating another donut in the huge pile of sweets that was on the dining room table. It stretched from one end to the other, stacked up at a little over a foot high. 

You were definitely going to get sick. 

“Yup! They were so nice! Oh yeah, and I’m an honorary Charlotte now.” You didn’t notice the blank look on Mihawk’s face. 

“I’m still confisticating your sweets.” 

“What?!” 

“You heard me,” Mihawk said. “We’ve missed several training sessions, and I feel that you should not be allowed to be eating all this… sugar.” It was mostly for health concerns, but yes, that was also true. 

“...” You gave him the puppy dog eyes. “Please? I’ll make sure to train with you if I get to have all the sweets.” He watched with an unamused expression as you sipped some juice out of a tea cup. 

“No.” 

Health was always first obviously. 

“I’m telling Shanks.” 

“...Fine.” You grinned triumphantly, and began cheering. 

“Yay!” 

“But we’re training especially hard to get all that fat and sugar out.” The expression on your face dimmed. 

Maybe this wasn’t a very good idea after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, I totally butchered everyone's personalities. Oh yeah, and I pulled the classic 'Katakuri's scarf came off' because I have absolutely no imagination.


	21. Strawhats in Loguetown

**Chapter Fourteen: Strawhats in Loguetown**

* * *

“Oi, does this look like Y/n to you?” He snapped his eyes onto his blue haired brother, hands clutching a piece of paper. Holding it to his face, Ichiji saw that it was a wanted poster. He quirked a brow at the odd picture. Shanks and Mihawk in one corner, Sengoku and Garp in another, Doflamingo being chased by the admirals..

What was _wrong_ with this photo? Maybe an even better question would be what the fuck was wrong with these people. 

Ichiji’s eyes traced Niji’s finger, following it to the one specific point on Doflamingo’s back that had a big circle around it. He was confused for a moment, before realization dawned upon him that it was _you_ , looking _extremely_ distressed with the situation that you had gotten yourself in. Or perhaps you weren’t and you were just distressed with the fact that you were literally _ten_ feet off the ground (he would know, since he’s done it to you before). 

“Yes, it does appear that way,” he mused, grabbing the paper from his hands. Rather surprising that the Marines would actually let a photo like this on a wanted poster. They didn’t think to crop it? Or perhaps they didn’t have the means to. Sitting up from his chair, Ichiji swiveled to look at Niji.

“Did you and-?” Niji grinned. 

“Already did. It looks pretty good, if I say so myself.” He nodded in acknowledgement, making his way out of his room. 

“I’ll take a look then.” Walking down the halls, Ichiji made a turn, knowing exactly where to go. Passing by the room that you had used during your stay, he opened the door of the room beside it. Stepping inside, Niji followed suit, eyes trained on the wall in front of him. Yonji was in the air plastering something onto the wall when he noticed his two brothers. 

“Yonji,” the red head spoke. 

“Oh, I didn’t expect you to come in so soon, Nii- _san_.” The man grinned, letting himself fall back down the ground gracefully. “So? What do you think?” 

“It looks good. There are more photos on my desk.” Yonji laughed, expecting those words to come out of his brother’s mouth. 

“Ah, she looks absolutely beautiful, doesn’t she?” Niji spoke, eyes staring at the multitude of photos of your face on the wall. There were probably thousands of photos of you, all cut out to show only you. There were enough photos to rival Kizaru’s photo collection. The biggest photo was one of the Vinsmokes and you, a painting that they had done as a memory for your time with the Vinsmokes. 

That one had to be their favorite because they were in it with you. 

Besides the photos in the room were other trinkets of yours that they had collected. Hair ties, blankets, hair, anything that you used had been taken and neatly arranged in the room. It was a museum dedicated to a beautiful angel. You. The only people who were allowed in the room were themselves and the maid who came to clean the room. 

They had to train her properly and make sure she didn’t throw all the wrong stuff away. The previous maid had been discarded for doing that exact thing. How could they have seen all that as trash? Utterly ridiculous.

The only sad thing about the room was that it reminded them that your presence was no longer with them. You were with those lowly pirate scum, and that thought alone made them even more frustrated. If only you could visit them more often, that would be amazing. 

Leaving the room, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji froze when they saw Reiju in front of them, raising a brow as to the fact that the three of them were in the same room together with small smiles on their faces. If anything, that was pretty suspicious. 

She smiled at them nonetheless. “Father has been looking for you three.” That was not a lie, their father actually had been looking for them. “May I ask what you three were doing in there?” 

“Just discussing plans,” Niji lied (if you minus the fact that they were discussing about you then yes). Yonji, meanwhile, was locking the door. Curious, but deciding not to pressure them further, Reiju played along with their lie. 

She could always find out later, after all. 

\---

It was quite obvious to Luffy the moment he set foot in Loguetown that you were there. Why exactly was it obvious? He had this feeling that you would be here waiting for him. Call it intuition, but that was how it was. He was sure that you were in town, he just didn’t know _where_.

Once he saw you he was going to talk all about his crew that he gathered, and everything that you transpired through the time that you missed. He had so much fun in all his adventures in the East Blue, but now it was going to get better, because you were going to be a part of those adventures. The Grandline wouldn’t know what hit them once they got there. It was going to be amazing. 

Luffy looked around eagerly.

There was one thing however. He just needed to find you first. Luckily for him, he had your transponder snail in his hat. At that thought, Luffy grabbed his hat, freezing when the snail was nowhere to be found. 

Nami raised a brow at Luffy’s sudden moment of quietness. “Luffy? What’s wrong?” 

“I-I….” He turned to his navigator with [sad eyes](https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BadAlienatedAegeancat-small.gif), almost near tears. “I lost Y/n’s snail. How am I going to find her now?!” Nami blinked, registering his words for a second, before crying out. 

“EH?! You had her snail on you?! Why didn’t you tell one of us you idiot!” She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. Now how were they going to find their first mate? Maybe you had some sort of way to find them, considering the new discovery of your bounty. Damn though, _500 million berries_... That had to be almost seventeen times Luffy’s own bounty!

Nami shook her head, she shouldn’t be thinking about money at the moment when they needed to find you, especially considering how stubborn their captain was. “Luffy, is there some other way you can find her or she can find you?

The poor boy shook his head.

“We can’t go to the Grandline without her! We promised!” Luffy spoke. “We have to find her! Nami! Find our first mate! You’re a navigator!” She punched him in the head. 

“IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY YOU IDIOT!” She exhaled with force, very obviously distressed. “Oh this is bad..” Nami mumbled. 

If they couldn’t find you, then it would be a while until the set sail. 

“What’s bad, Nami-swan?” Sanji asked, suddenly appearing right next to her. 

“Luffy lost our only source of communication with our first mate.” Sanji widened his eyes. Luffy had a way to communicate with his goddess and he _lost_ it?! 

Luffy earned himself another welt on his head. 

“Damn it Luffy! How are we supposed to find my goddess now?!” Nami raised a slight brow at Sanji’s nickname for you, but didn’t question it as Sanji was a flirtatious guy anyways. Grabbing Luffy by the front of his shirt, Sanji glared down at him. “Do you know where she could have gone?” 

Luffy pointed down the streets of Loguetown. 

“...” 

“...” 

“...my goddess in Loguetown?” Sanji whispered, eyes beginning to turn into large pink hearts. Luffy nodded his head sadly. 

“Yeah, but I don’t know where she is,” Luffy pouted. 

“Y/N- _HIME_ , MY BEAUTIFUL GODDESS I’M COMING FOR YOU!!” Sanji yelled as he rushed down the streets away from the group, ignoring all the ladies around him. Nami face palmed. Well at least he wasn’t annoying the ladies and was doing something productive. 

At Sanji’s exclamation, Luffy realized that he, too, should be searching for you. “I’m going to find Y/n too!!” he spoke, running down the streets. 

“Wait- Luffy!” But it was already too late, he was gone. Nami sighed. Now there was only herself, Usopp, and Zoro- oh wait. Nami looked around her, not seeing the marimo anywhere. He was gone too. Great, just great. 

“Geez, those idiots…” Nami grumbled under her breath. 

Hopefully one of those idiots finds you. 

\---

Sanji’s eyes scanned every single produce in the market, eyes occasionally straying to look at the beautiful ladies in front of him. When he did, he would aggressively shake his head, reminding himself to stay true to one beautiful lady. Additionally, he needed the freshest and top quality foods to feed you. A goddess must be treated as such. 

He chewed on his cigarette, a blush appearing on his face as he remembered your beautiful features. Oh those beautiful imperfections that made you so perfect. It made him so giddy just to know that he was so close to you!! 

Obviously, Sanji needed to find you quick, but he also needed to get shopping done. What was more important? Feeding you top quality food, or finding you? Ahh, this was a very difficult decision indeed. 

Gritting his teeth a bit, Sanji sighed, deciding to look over the produce. Luffy would find you somehow, Sanji just knew that idiot would. His first priority now would be to stock up food. His eyes wandered over to the fruits, looking so appetizing. 

He wondered if a desert would sound appealing to you. Oh, and perhaps a side of tea. Earl Grey Tea with a side of scones sounded like something you would enjoy. 

\---

You yelped, stumbling back when your body collided with another’s. You were, once again, in an alleyway, after your little chat with Smoker. You were a bit hesitant with talking with him at first, but everything was fine in the end. You gave him your transponder snail so the two of you had means of communication! 

Sure you had to leave him to avoid him getting into trouble, but he told you that you could visit him any time you wanted! It was all great! 

Ah, but you suppose that stumbling into another person wasn’t that great. 

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going!” You bowed in apology to the dark skinned lady before you, her eyes scrutinizing your every fiber. Looking up when she didn’t say anything, you blinked in surprise when you recognized her as the waitress that served you at the restaurant a couple of days before. 

“You’re quite the lively one, aren’t you?” Her voice was beautifully deep, smooth and pleasant to the ears. There was amusement in her voice, and you wondered what she could mean by that.

“I’m sorry?” Her lips upturned into a small smile. 

“You make me curious…” she mused, reaching behind her to pull out a knife. It was a rather large dagger, shimmering slightly with odd symbols engraved into the side of it. “Let’s see that beautiful blood of yours.” 

In a blink of an eye, she had appeared in front of you, and you widened your eyes, sidestepping to avoid being cut. 

“Playing hard to get, are we?” Thinking quickly, you flung your bag off your shoulders, quickly digging around to find your bokken. You didn’t really like having anything to do with swords, but sometimes you have no choice but to use it. Granted, a bokken was’t sharp (it didn’t have a blade at all), but it didn’t mean you _liked_ to use it. 

At least you wouldn’t hurt anybody with it. Well, not that bad at least. 

Grabbing the hilt, you were about to pull it out and parry the dagger when someone had jumped in, taking the hit for the attack. You watched with wide eyes as they were cleanly cut in half, and your eyes flashed gold for a brief second. 

Oh. 

They were going to be just fine. 

“Hahaha! You can’t cut me! I ate the Bara Bara no Mi!” Your savior cackled as he put himself together again. Pulling out several blades, he grinned at the lady. “Now, time to die _flashily_.” 

Looking rather annoyed, she sighed, tucking her dagger back into her pants. Buggy furrowed his brows in confusion. Was she such a coward that she wasn’t going to fight? The woman tsked, before jumping up and disappearing into thin air. 

Not taking your hand out of your bag, you made sure to verify that the lady was indeed gone. When you could no longer sense her, you let out a relieved sigh, slinging the bag back over your shoulders before looking to your savior. A cloak obscured his features, but you could tell by their voice that they were at least male.

You thought back to Pica, pursing your lips. Probably, but you knew you shouldn’t assume. 

Looking up into his hood, you gave him your best smile. “Thank you for helping me! What’s your name?” You watched as he tucked his weapons away, feeling his eyes on you. 

“They call me Buggy the Clown, but you can call me Buggy, sweetheart.” 

“Alright, thank you Buggy!” you spoke without much care that he gave you a nickname, much to his surprise. Buggy wasn’t exactly sure why he had stepped in to help you, probably almost blowing his cover away. Though, he had to say, he was rather intrigued by you. 

“You’re- uh, welcome.” You certainly had a lot of pure energy radiating from you, that was for sure. There was something about that energy that made him think of Luffy, and that made him clench his teeth. 

Seriously though, why did he even think to help a helpless girl from getting killed? He was a pirate for fuck’s sake! A ruthless pirate who should be feared! Not thanked! 

A squawk from above you caused you to look up, and you saw [Phoenix ](https://img.wattpad.com/c8af053154a0ae730468b8814fd79e656bf0d4fd/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7754745461586a627242446532773d3d2d3531313131343136342e313530326336353661366166373362353530313235353434343037342e676966?s=fit&w=720&h=720)flapping his wings from above. Ah. Turning to Buggy, you gave him another smile. 

“Thanks Buggy! I have to go now! I won’t forget this!” Running out of the alleyway, you waved him goodbye. Buggy’s eyes trailed to your retreating form, as if he were in a trance until his subordinate called to him, stepping out of the shadows. They were all a little confused, but thought that Buggy was pretty cool to have stepped up and saved you like some awesome guy. 

Well, he _was_ an awesome guy, so it made sense. 

“Captain?” Buggy’s eyes flickered over to Cabaji. 

“Let’s go."

\---

“So one of them is in here?” you asked, holding a very small Phoenix in your hands as you looked up at the shop. _Love Love Pirates_ it was called. He nodded. “Do you know which one?” 

_Long nose._

“Ah, Usopp, I think it was,” you said to yourself, walking inside. 

“-is from people who returned alive from the Grand Line!” You perked up when you saw the owner speaking. He seemed to be talking to Usopp. They didn’t seem to notice you, and since you weren’t really a part of the conversation, you decided to walk around a bit. Around you were trinkets and stuff that didn’t really look like things that would come from the Grand Line. 

Was this what your Master called ‘con artists’? 

Oh no, that means you have to save Usopp!! 

Rushing to Usopp, he looked like he was being swayed to buy a weird looking gun that looked like a fish. 

“Usopp!!” you spoke, causing the man to look in your direction. 

“Eh?! First-mate?!” His jaw dropped when he saw you there in all your glory. You really were in Loguetown! Damn, Luffy has good instincts. You gave him a big smile that made something in his heart flutter. 

“Call me Y/n! We’re going to be friends after all!” Not even a couple minutes and he was already friendzoned. Not that he wanted something _more_ out of his first mate. No, that was a big no no. Especially after the warning that Zoro told Nami that she told him about. What if you showed up to kill him?!

“Ah, Usopp? Are you okay?” 

“Ye-Yeah! Wh-Why wouldn’t I be?” You tilted your head in a confused manner, eyebrows slightly raised as your eyes trailed down to his shaking legs. 

“You’re shaking a lot. Oh yeah, I have a question for you. Do you know where Luffy went?” 

“I-I-I think he went to the p-platform…” Usopp widened his eyes. Why the hell did he say that?! Now you were going to kill Luffy or something! Oh god oh god no. You gave him a big ominous grin, which was in reality, nothing of the sort, but he was internally screaming. 

“Alright, thanks! Oh yeah, don’t listen to the guy. That gun is too new to be something of Roger’s, much of the stuff here is anyways.” You hummed as you caught a glimpse of a pink feathered coat. The store owner, meanwhile, was giving you glares. 

Picking up the coat, you turned to the owner. “Say, where did you get this coat?” 

Plastering on a fake smile, the man answered you, despite the malintent in his eyes. “Ah! You have a good eye Miss, that coat belongs to one of the Great Shichibukai, Doflamingo!” You frowned a bit, and Usopp was confused by the exchange. 

Why exactly were you frowning…? He watched as you twirled the coat around, feeling the feathers, before a sigh escaped your lips. 

“Who sold it to you?” 

“Nobody! The man gave it to me himself! You could ask him if you wanted a confirmation!” Internally, the owner smirked. You wouldn’t be able to ask the man himself even if you wanted to. You looked too weak to know such a renowned person. 

He quirked a brow when you let out a sigh, digging through your bag before pulling out a transponder snail. It was silent for a moment, as the two men watched you as you waited for the other person on the line to pick up. 

_Was it possible that you were calling…?_ Nah, what were the chances that-

 _“My little princess? I didn’t expect you to be calling me again so soon.”_ That familiar voice sent shivers down Usopp’s spine as the store owner stiffened. That _had_ to be the same guy you were calling on Baratie. Usopp would never forget such a creepy voice. 

“Ah, Doffy, did you ever give someone in Loguetown your coat?” On the other end, Doflamingo was rather confused by your question. 

_“I have not.”_ You turned your head to look at the store owner. Staring him down, you spoke your next few words to Doflamingo. 

“I think there’s someone trying to sell a knock off version of your coat.” You spoke thoughtfully. “He also told me that you gave it to him and that I could ask you myself. I guess he was lying then.” The said man was currently sweating bullets, and Usopp was slowly piecing the information from this little conversation together, feeling as though his whole body was about to collapse in fear. 

Did you… Did you know a shichibukai?

 _“..Fufufufu, really? And he tried to sell it to you?”_ Doflamingo chuckled on the other end. _“And when you already have the real thing, that’s rather hilarious. Let me talk to the man.”_ You stretched your hand out to pass the snail over to the store owner. He shakily took it from your hands, awaiting for a response. 

_“I’m going to assume that you’re listening, and if you aren’t, well too bad.”_ He laughed a bit before continuing. _“I only have a couple things I want to say to you, but I just want you to know, if I wanted to burn your store to the ground,_ ** _I would_** _. I could make you go bankrupt with a snap of my fingers and I wouldn’t even bat an eyelash.”_ Usopp and the man gulped. Despite not being on the receiving end of the conversation, Usopp felt like he was going to die. 

Usopp turned to look at you with fear in his eyes. Were you really on their side? Were you really their first mate, and Luffy’s friend? If you were truly, and you didn’t have any ill intentions, you would be such a formidable ally. You _had_ to be a friend, you tried to help him from purchasing a cheap knock off gun! 

Someone who acted like a child and seemed so innocent and good-hearted wouldn’t be lying about friendship. And Luffy really seemed to like you. 

Noticing his gaze, you turned to look over at Usopp, giving him a reassuring smile and a small wave. He let out a breath, feeling his cheeks heat up at your kind face. You had to be. 

_“Now, I’m not pissed that you were trying to sell a fake version of my beloved coat, I’m pissed that you had the audacity to try and sell pathetically cheap items to_ ** _my_** _princess. Things like this I do not overlook. Because I’m so_ ** _generous_** _I’m letting you off with a warning, but_ ** _if_** _I get a complaint about something else, I_ ** _will not_** _be as forgiving.”_

Feeling that Doflamingo was done talking, you walked over to the man, plucking the transponder snail out of his hands. 

_“And Y/n, remember to not be swayed into scams or else there I’ll have to do some_ ** _talking_** _with those people.”_ You grinned. 

“I won’t!” 

_“Good.”_ He paused for a second, before sighing. _“And Caesar and Monet wanted me to tell you that they say ‘hi’.”_

“Oh, tell them I said hi too!” You could hear Doflamingo chuckling in the other end of the line. 

_“Of course. Make sure to take care of yourself, especially at sea. I must leave now. Let me know if any other problems arise.”_

And with that, he hung up. 

You turned to look at Usopp. “I’ll be going now to look for the others. I’m sure the boat- the Going Merry was it?- is at the dock. Make sure you don’t get scammed! If you do, let me know and I’ll call Doffy again!” Adjusting your hold on Phoenix, you walked out the door. 

The store owner looked at Usopp with scared eyes, shoving a bunch of stuff into his hands. “Just take everything…” 

Well at least you were helpful to a frightening degree. Nami might take a liking to you. 

\---

“Captain Smoker! We have word that Monkey D. Luffy is on his way to Loguetown!” The marine lackey opened the door to the said man’s office, only to see the man smoking his heart out. The room was so smokey (haha) that anyone could barely see through it. “Erm, he’s a pirate worth 30 million berries,” he spoke, a little less confident now. 

Right, he kind of forgot that it was just today that they found out that you were a pirate. Of course Smoker would be sad. You were the only person they had seen him willingly interact with, despite clashing personalities. The rest of the marines would be lying if they said they weren’t the least bit sad. You were such a prominent person in their life, despite it only being about a week. 

To find out that such a person in their life was a pirate was just… heartbreaking. A person like you especially! It just goes to show how fucked up the government was. Nobody on Loguetown had the heart to capture you anyways. If they saw you, they’d probably cry and run away. 

Smoker sighed, looking out the window (though it wasn’t like he could see out of it with how much smoke was in the room), having just come back from a little chat with you. He let out a puff of smoke. “30 million…” he mused. “That’s worthy of congratulation.” But it was nothing compared to _your_ bounty. 

“Y-Yes! He’s a person who even defeated Don Krieg and Arlong the fishman!” 

“Quiet!” Smoker grumbled. “I get the idea, but it’s not good to be tense. I got my own pace I do things at. Isn’t that right?” Walking over to the window, he opened it, and the smoke immediately spilled out of the room. For a brief moment, he thought he saw a speck of red, but when he blinked, it had disappeared. 

_“This is my friend Phoenix. I called myself Lady Phoenix because I couldn’t think of a name at a time. Oh yeah, I also have another friend who has ‘phoenix’ in their title. Pretty cool right?”_

“So what now?” Smoker asked, turning to the marine behind him. It was probably just his imagination. 

“Right, a pirate group! We believe they will show up in town some time today!” Huh, you mentioned that you had a few friends that would be coming to Loguetown today. Was it possible that that group of pirates were the people you mentioned? He let out a sigh. 

“Have any pirates who’ve set their foot into this town ever escaped since I took charge here?” he asked the marine, grabbing his jacket and slipping it on to cover his bare top half. 

“No sir.” 

“Then calm the hell down, you’re gonna screw up my pace.” Walking toward the door, another marine marched in. 

“Reporting, sir! We have word that pirates have appeared at the port! Please go there at once!” Adjusting his coat, Smoker sighed once more, stuffing another cigar into his mouth. 

Hopefully they weren’t your friends, or else he and you were going to have a few more issues. One of them is letting them go if they were, because he knew he could never say no to you. 

Ah, but that would be the worst case scenario. After all, what were the chances of that ever happening?

Walking down the street, Smoker paused, looking back at the marine. “Where is Tashigi?” 

\---

It hasn’t been the best day exactly for Tashigi. First off, she woke up to the knowledge that the person that had been hanging around the base and had been growing on her was a pirate, with a ridiculous amount of berries on their head. Second, she had been bothered by these lowly pirates. Third, this moss head decided to break her glasses. 

So yeah, it was safe to assume that it wasn’t the best day. It was probably the crappiest day ever. 

“I didn’t mean to!” Zoro said, eyes widening. He seriously didn’t mean to. And fuck, he didn’t have the money to replace them. 

“Those were expensive!” she cried out in frustration. Mostly because she had so much pent up frustration and needed to take it out on something- or somebody in this case -and Zoro had been on that end of the spectrum. “How could you do something so horrible?!” 

“I told you I didn’t mean to!” 

“Pay me back for them!” Staring down at him harshly, she got up. “Tch, follow me. This is the worst day ever..” she mumbled under her breath. 

If she had never met you, then she would never ever be having such conflicting feelings inside of her. Then again, how could she not want to meet you again? You gave her happiness that she had never known was possible. Why did you have to be so innocent and likeable?! The world was so cruel. She clenched her teeth as she knocked another one of the marines down with her bokken. 

Despite being distracted, she still got the best of them. Then again, maybe it was because they, too, were distracted by the sudden reveal that you were a pirate. She remembered the innocent expression on your face, those eyes filled with awe and wonder. How was it possible that a person like you was a pirate? 

And with such a high bounty? It just didn’t make any sense. She bet Smoker wasn’t any better either, having stormed off of the base when he had gotten word. This world was so fucked up. 

Tashigi stared confusedly at the note and cash that said it was for her glasses. A sigh left her lips. 

Definitely fucked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always feel so nervous when I post a new chapter. It's always 'is this too stupid' or 'did I miss any grammatical errors' or 'oh god, what did I write?!' XD


	22. Swords and Talks of Marriage

**Chapter Fifteen:** **Swords and Talks of Marriage**

* * *

It was probably only ten minutes of walking with the man (or dragon) named Sage that they made it to an abandoned kingdom, with houses only a fragment of their former glory. Green moss grew everywhere, making the place even more abandoned. Small critters scuttled around, carrying small flowers in their hands (or paws, should he say). Their heads tilted curiously at the Yonko, before scurrying off towards the mountain. 

“They’re gathering offerings for the dead child of the gods,” Sage spoke softly. Shanks turned to look at the taller man. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the tale, considering that book in your hands.” He watched as Sage approached one of the decaying buildings, placing a hand gingerly on top of the stone. 

“This place used to be the Kingdom of Euphoria, home to the land of the Ancient Ones. I’m rather surprised that you found your way here, pirate. This place is not welcome to outsiders.” Sage broke out into a sly grin. “Well, most outsiders.” 

He began to walk down the mossy cobblestone roads, looking back to beckon the yonko with his hand. “There are a few other places I’d like to show you before the main event. You’re quite lucky to arrive right before the full moon.” 

Shanks looked around the ruins of the fallen Kingdom in fascination. It grew even more when he saw that animals all alike would pause to bow down to Sage, then regarding him with a short bow, before scampering off towards the mountains, just like the others. So far, from what Shanks could see, there was not a single living human being alive on the island, though it made sense. 

This place was probably abandoned hundreds of years ago, and given that much of the stone was stained, Shanks could only assume they didn’t die out pleasantly. 

“What happens on the full moon?” Sage didn’t look back as he amusedly answered. 

“You’ll see.” 

Eventually they walked towards a rather large castle that could rival the one on Kuraigana. Despite being abandoned, it looked a bit too well to not be inhabited, with the only aspect that showed how much time had passed to be the overgrown vines growing along the walls and the wild flowers that grew outside along it. 

To Shanks’ surprise, Sage did not enter the castle, only turning his heel so that he walked alongside it, towards the forest. Sage walked with confidence, occasionally greeting the woodland creatures as they made their way up the mountain as well. The sunlight barely hit the ground with the thick green canopy from above, and, despite the heat, the air was not humid for it to be uncomfortable. 

It was, oddly enough, perfect. 

_“This is the place where the rain never comes, only in small sprinkles, and the only terrible weather is the never ending sun.”_

The familiar words flooded in his mind at that thought. It was unbelievable. To think that a place in a legend- in a story -was in actuality, a place not a figment of imagination, but a reality. He could just imagine the look on your face if you found out about this place. You would be so ecstatic. Ah, his cute little Y/n. Just thinking about you made him so happy. 

Shanks blinked when a wolf trotted up to him, holding quite a large banquet of beautiful wild flowers in his mouth. He held it up for Shanks to take, and Shanks hesitantly grabbed it, thanking the wolf. The yonko gave Sage a glance of slight confusion, eliciting a chuckle from the dragon. 

“It’s a custom for bringing an offering for the dead in Euphoria, and has been for eons. I’m sure your kind does the same as well, do you not?” 

“We do. I’m assuming that we’re visiting the child in the story?” Sage’s golden eyes glistened with amusement and intrigue. 

“Yes, you’re quite perceptive. I have to say, your soul is rather pure for being a pirate, a yonko no less, but it is still tainted. You’re quite a curious individual, just like the last ones who came to our island.” They began to climb a long staircase of stone steps that ascended up the mountain. 

Shanks’ eyes trailed to the forest around him, taking in the ethereal emerald glow. “Is that right? Haha, I’ll take that as a compliment. You know, you’re not that bad. Aside from attacking me out of nowhere.” 

“And you as well.” Sage lifted up a finger, and a beautiful pastel pink bird came fluttering down to settle on it. The bird chirped a bit, eyes occasionally flickering over to Shanks, and Sage nodded along, listening to her words. When she was done, Sage sent her off with a nod. 

“So you can communicate with them?” Sage looked back at his companion. 

“Yes. Being a dragon made by the Ancient Ones is quite useful. I’m the caretaker of the island, and they relay messages of any disturbance in the area.” Sage gave Shanks a knowingly look. “So yes, that is how I found you.” Shanks nodded along, an impressed look on his face. 

“That _is_ pretty useful. I know someone who can do something similar to that.” The dragon hummed. 

“Is that right? The _Voice of All Things_ is a very rare ability to commune with animals among humans, but when someone does have it, it can be quite formidable. I’m sure you’ve heard of Zou? That old mammal is probably as old as me, but I suppose he’s very good at judging others character. I was rather surprised when he let that man read his poneglyph. Ah, well maybe not read _read_.” 

“You mean Roger?” His golden eyes flickered to Shanks as he looked behind him, pausing in his footsteps up the stone steps. 

“Yes, that guy. He came to this island too with those companions of his almost thirty years ago. He was quite impressive. The _Voice of All Things_ may be rare, but Zunesha speaking is quite a feat in itself. He’s not a bad character either, though he was quite boisterous.” Sage added that last part distastefully. “It’s a shame he had to die.” He paused for a second, lips upturning as if thinking about something quite amusing. 

Shanks never got the chance to ask what was on his mind when Sage suddenly spoke again. “Ah, we’ve arrived.” 

Before Shanks were animals of all sorts gathered together, placing their offerings in front of the shrine. Beside the shrine was a large cube, and upon closer inspection, Shanks realized that it was a poneglyph, except that it wasn’t the typical color of a poneglyph, heck it wasn’t even red. 

It was gold. It was made of solid gold. 

“Quite impressive isn’t it, Red-haired Shanks?” Shanks walked closer towards the poneglyph, eyes inspecting each grove of each symbol inscribed. The gold block gleamed in the sunlight, and there was not a single organism growing upon it. It seemed to be well cared for, considering how clean it was. 

“I’ve never heard of a solid gold poneglyph…” Shanks murmured to himself. It was beautiful, gleaming brighter than the sun. He turned back to Sage, left arm clutching onto the flowers, before heading for the shrine. 

Sage didn’t come here to show him the poneglyph, but to pay respects to the deceased; and Shanks was going to do just that. 

The animals parted for him, eyes watching his every movement carefully as he walked up to the shrine. It was similar to a small little house dressed in gold, with an opening where a name was inscribed in obsidian. In front of the shrine were offerings of all sorts- fruits, flowers, precious metals, gems, but there was one that stuck out to him the most. 

Sitting quietly in front of the name inscribed in obsidian was a single lone red feather. 

\--- 

You hummed, holding Phoenix close to your chest as he guided you through the crowds, careful as to avoid any marines. This time, the two of you stood in front of a swords shop. You bit your lip apprehensively. 

You were pretty sure you knew who would be inside. 

“Ahaha… I think I’m going to look for someone else…” you muttered under your breath, turning around to go into a different direction, earning a pissed squawk from Phoenix. “Phoenix, I don’t want to go in there… there’s sharp stuff…., you know I don’t like sharp things.” 

_You mean ‘swords’?_

“Y-Yeah, that… Can’t we wait for him to come out?” you asked, twiddling your fingers nervously. Phoenix gave you a look that just screamed annoyance. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes piercing through you. 

“I know that Master helped me a little, but I prefer using the bokken more… It’s not sharp or dangerous, you know- HEY!” You yelped as Phoenix started to tug you into the store. Your exclamation caused a few people to stare at you, and you felt your face grow red in embarrassment. They couldn’t see Phoenix because he had a special ability to not be seen by the naked eye, unless you were strong like one of the shichibukai or something. 

“Okay, okay, please stop, I’ll go inside.” A smug look overcame his expression and you pouted a bit, before hesitantly opening the door. There inside, you saw Zoro and a man who you assumed to be the owner of the place. You hoped he wasn’t planning on scamming like the last guy you ran into. Hopefully Usopp knew what he was doing. 

You felt yourself shake a little at all the weapons all around the shop, on the walls, on shelves, display cases, in barrels. There were so many! You let out a small sigh. At least they were sheathed, unlike Yoru, who only got bandages or nothing. 

You jumped when the shop owner spoke loudly at the counter to a familiar green haired man. “What if I tell you this, I’ll buy this sword for 200,000 berries, and then you’ll have a total of 300,000 berries!”

You furrowed your brows. Was he talking about that nice looking sword on Zoro’s hip? It was Wado Ichimonji wasn’t it? 

Yeah, you were pretty sure it was. Wado Ichimonji was one of the 21 Great Grade swords, so you were pretty sure it was worth more than 200,000 berries. Heck, it was forged in Wano! Man those days reading about swords (to which you complained to Mihawk about, especially having to look at the pictures) was actually doing you some good. Who knew. 

Oh right. That also meant that the dude was trying to scam Zoro. Well, Zoro looked like he could handle himself. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“A-Alright! I-I can make it 250,000! No, 300,000!” Well, at least he was raising the price, but that was still nowhere near the price of a sword forged in Wano. Speaking of Wano, you wondered how your friends there were doing. “Eh... 500,000?” 

“Look. Raise the price all you want, this sword isn’t--” 

“Alright, then! I’ll buy it from you for 650,000 berries!” He looked like he was out of breath. “Fine! How does 800,000 berries sound?” 

“Um…” The guy turned to look at you furiously. 

“What?!” You laughed awkwardly, stepping closer to the duo, careful to mind your distance from the god awful _swords_. Oh dear why Phoenix. Squeezing Phoenix, you walked up to the counter a bit shyly, causing the man’s frustration with you to dwindle just a bit. 

Zoro turned to look at the person who decided to interrupt the conversation, only to see you. His eyes widened slightly. Why the hell were you doing in Loguetown?! How? Impossible! 

“Erm, I just wanted to say…” You took in a deep breath. 

_Come on Y/n, be assertive like Doffy, Mihawk, and Shanks told you to be._

Ah, but it was so much easier saying that than actually committing to it. Gathering up all the courage you had left (which wasn’t much, considering you used a majority of it for coming inside the store) and looked the man straight in the eye. His Adam apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly, a different aura immediately replacing your previous shy one. 

“I don’t think you should be scamming people.” There you said it. Ugh that took too much energy out of you. Looking back at the man, you could see a furious expression that overcame his face. You quickly looked away until the swords were in your field of vision. When you saw the swords, you immediately looked down to the floor.

_So much for being confident…_

God, _please_ help you get out of this store. Zoro, meanwhile, raised a brow at your words. Scamming? The man was trying to scam him? 

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about-” 

“Wado Ichimonji is one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, it should be well over the price that you're trying to buy it for.” Zoro watched you with confused eyes, though he should have known that you would know your swords, having Mihawk as your Master and all. Seriously though, how did you get that man to be your teacher? And was the katana he owned such a big deal? 

“Um, additionally, Wado Ichimonji was forged in Wano, the Land of The Samurai which is closed off to the rest of the world, so I’m pretty sure that if you wanted to purchase the sword, it would be about 10 million berries,” you spoke as a matter of fact with confidence, when you were currently dying inside. 

Phoenix was also dying due to the fact that you were crushing his lungs with how hard you were holding onto him. This had been a terrible idea. 

“Y-You, who are you?!” You tilted your head up to look at him. 

“Just somebody who doesn’t want their friend to get scammed, but I think he’ll be alright.” You looked over at Zoro with kind eyes, causing him to stiffen in place. “Isn’t that right Zoro?” Before he could answer, you looked behind you, feeling a presence coming towards you. You froze, eyes flashing gold for a brief moment. 

It was Tashigi. 

“Good morning! Did you finish polishing my Shigure?” She didn’t seem to notice you, and you breathed a sigh of relief. You wondered if she would forgive you as easily as Smoker did. You could only watch as Tashigi looked over at Zoro, a wave of relief washing over her face. 

“Thank goodness! You’re alright! Someone went on a rampage at the navy outpost earlier.” You looked up at Zoro curiously. He was the one who caused the rampage, wasn’t he? “You were gone too, so I was worried! What a relief…-” Tashigi froze when her eyes slid over to your shy form beside Zoro. 

“Um… Shigi- _chan_ , hello…” you stammered when you noticed her gaze. Ah, maybe you should apologize now like you did with Smoker. You breathed in deeply, before locking eyes. It would be such great timing if one of your visions appeared right about now like it did a second ago. Alas, it didn’t work that way.

“I-I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for not telling you and Smokey and everyone. You stood there, twiddling your fingers. “I thought that maybe you would treat me differently… I didn’t think that I would get a bounty though… I didn’t even do anything wrong…” 

Tashigi felt her heart hurt in pain as she watched you look so sad, like a kicked puppy. A part of her wanted to shun you, to hurt you for lying to her and for being a pirate, but the good part of her wanted to comfort you and console you, to tell you that she was fine with it. You probably weren’t lying when you said that you didn’t do anything wrong, but she was a marine! She couldn’t just be friends with pirates! 

“So, sorry again.” You bowed your head, tears beginning to form in your eyes. Zoro looked between you and Tashigi, wondering what the heck was going on and why he was in the middle of it. Tashigi, meanwhile, bit her lip. Damn it. She couldn’t do this to you. 

She hoped Smoker would forgive her. 

“It’s okay, Y/n- _chan_ , I forgive you.” Walking over to you, she gave you a big hug. You squeezed her tightly, and she squeezed back. 

“Thank you.. I’m glad you and Smokey forgave me.” Tashigi froze. Smoker- _san_ … forgave you? He _actually_ forgave you for lying and being a pirate? That didn’t sound right to her, but with the way the man had been acting the past week, maybe it had. Wiping her now damp eyes, Tashigi released you, putting on a pair of glasses. 

When she did so, she caught sight of Wado Ichimonji in the store owner’s hands. She gasped. 

“Is that Wado Ichimonji?!” She shouted in surprise, grabbing it out of his hands to inspect it. She gasped. “It _is_ Wado Ichimonji!” By now the man looked just about done with life. He wanted so badly to have his hands on that sword but these two women ruined it. 

“What a beautifully straight temper line!” she gasped when she unsheathed the sword to examine it. You tensed, instinctively clutching on to Zoro’s arm, to his confusement. Your nails dug into him a bit as your eyes were trained on the blade. It looked so sharp..

“Oi, why are you holding onto me?” You tensed when he called you out. It caused Tashigi and the man to watch the two of you. Tashigi’s eyes wandered over to the hand you had around Zoro’s arm, and she couldn’t help but feel jealousy build inside of her. 

“S-Sorry… I just… I don’t like sharp objects and my friend made me come in here…” Zoro’s jaw dropped. No way the student of Mihawk just said they didn’t like sharp objects. No way in hell he had to surpass a girl who couldn’t even hold a sword. This was so fucked up! This _had_ to be a joke. Someone please tell him that he’s dreaming. 

Tashigi widened her eyes in realization, quickly sheathing the sword back up. “I’m _so_ sorry! I didn’t realize!” You gave her a reassuring smile. 

“It’s okay Shigi- _chan_ , it’s kind of my fault for coming in here to begin with…” She felt her lip quiver when she saw the fearful expression on your face. Damn it, she was such a horrible friend for not knowing about this! She should be the one you were holding on to. Sighing, she turned to Zoro to ask the burning question on her mind. 

“What are you doing with such a legendary sword?”

“Curse you! And _you_!” He shouted, pointing a finger at you, causing you to flinch back into Zoro, causing a frown to form on his face. He may not trust you yet (well you were slowly getting there, especially when he realized how innocent you were, and that you were trying to help him earlier), but nobody talked to the first mate like that, especially to someone who had saved his life (sealing his wounds up on Baratie, if you didn’t remember). He was sure Luffy wouldn’t have any of it if it were him. 

So in theory, he was defending you in Luffy’s place. Or at least, that was what he told himself. 

“I’m suing the two of you for obstruction of business!” 

“Oi!” Zoro growled, slamming his hands on the table. “Don’t talk to my first mate that way. Besides, I already told you before, I’m not selling you that sword.” You looked up at Zoro with an awe expression. The path to friendship was there, you could see it. Giving him a big hug, he flushed.

“You’re so cool! Thank you for defending me!” you laughed, before letting him go. “Oh, but don’t worry, I got a friend who deals with these kinds of things. I’ll just give him a call…” Right, Doflamingo told you to give him a call if another scammer tried to pull something. 

Pulling out your transponder snail, you decided to call Doffy again. He was like a professional people scareer, though was that even ethical?

Probably not, though they kind of had it coming. You were basically giving them karma. Besides, you secretly kind of liked having Doffy scare people. It was fun. 

_“Princess, is that man giving you trouble again?”_ Zoro recognized that voice. It was that man, Doffy or whatever that you spoke with on Baratie. 

“No, it’s a different person. I’m uh…” You looked around nervously at the swords, shuffling a little closer to Zoro. “So uh… don’t freak out, but Phoenix uh… he made me go into a sword shop..” 

Doflamingo was silent for a moment. 

_“Phoenix, I know you’re listening. When I see you again, I am going to make sure to skin you alive and throw you into the sea.”_ Phoenix didn’t seem to be fazed by his threats, but everybody else in the room sure was. 

_“My dear, are you alright?”_ You widen your eyes. That was Master’s voice! Zoro’s eyes widened as he stood beside you. He also recognized that voice. 

“Master?” 

_“Y/n, is someone trying to scam you of a sword?”_ He asked, distaste clearly present. 

“No, but why are the two of you together? Last time I called, Doffy was still in Punk Hazard.” Yeah, it just didn’t add up. Unless Mihawk decided to go to Punk Hazard too, but you knew your Master didn’t like messing in Doflamingo’s affairs. 

_“Mihawk and I, along with a few others, are meeting up due to... reasons. Now then, if you’re not the one being scammed, then who is?”_

“My friend, Zoro,” you answered. 

_“You mean that fool who dared to challenge me back on Baratie? I must say despite his foolishness, he was quite admirable.”_ You looked up at Zoro who was looking away with an embarrassed blush on his face. 

“Yup, and he’s listening to the call too.” 

_“Ah, hello… Zoro… I assume that you are being scammed of your Wado Ichimonji?”_ Zoro blinked in surprise. Did everyone around him seriously know about his sword and he didn’t? 

“Ah, erm, yes.” He coughed a bit into his sleeve to hide his embarrassment. 

_“You are rather foolish to not know about your own blade. You are rather lucky that my student is such a kind and innocent bean to have helped you out.”_ Doflamingo was laughing in the background as Mihawk basically just dissed him. But Doffy was also laughing because he was using slang. It sounded so odd coming out of the stoic man’s mouth. Shanks must be rubbing off of him. 

“Ah, don’t say that Master! Zoro is a good person! He defended me when the man at the counter threatened to sue me!” you spoke cheerfully, not noticing how quiet the other end of the call got. Ah, but the other three in the room noticed. 

_“Is that right? Thank you then, Zoro. Now then, where is the man I need to reprimand?”_ Mihawk spoke. 

_“You mean we,”_ Doflamingo corrected. Mihawk let out a tired sigh. 

_“Fine, yes. ‘We’.”_ You handed the man behind the counter the transponder snail with an innocent head tilt and smile that sent shivers down his spine. Your innocence and just the knowing look in your eyes was very terrifying, and he was also quite terrified at what your two friends had in store for him. They didn’t sound very pleasant. 

He wondered if you _really_ were as innocent as you seemed. 

_“I assume that you are listening,”_ Mihawk started. _“I only have a few words for you._ ** _Do not ever, try to threaten my student, or I will personally send you to hell._** _That will be all. Thank you.”_

 _“Fufufufufu~ Harsh now aren’t you, Mihawk? Though I have to say that someone threatening my little princess is quite…_ **_displeasing_ ** _, and I’d rather not let you off with a warning like the other man, but I’m sure you wouldn't want that, would you, Y/n?”_

“No killing,” you spoke as if it were a normal topic of conversation. Tashigi, Zoro, and the man were giving you wide eyed stares. Just who the hell was this Doffy person? 

_“Fufufu, of course you wouldn’t want me doing that. You’re too sweet.”_ He chuckled. _“So as a result of that, I have a proposition for you.”_

“A-And w-what would that be?” the owner stammered, so nervous that his hands were shaking. 

_“I would like you to comply with whatever my princess wishes. If she tells you to get down on your knees and_ **_beg_ ** _, which I’m sure would be quite amusing, then beg. If she tells you to give her money then do it. Unless you want to face my wrath as a shichi-”_

“Ah, Doffy, I think that you’re scaring him,” you said, effectively cutting him off. 

_“Good. I don’t appreciate it when people disrespect you.”_

_“I second that,”_ Mihawk spoke. 

“I know. Welp, it looks like he’s really terrified now, thanks.” Doflamingo cackled on the other end, too amused by your behavior. 

_“I_ would _apologise, but I don’t feel like it.”_ Ah, of course he would say that. You spared a glance at the man behind the counter and the stunned faces of Tashigi and Zoro. 

“Er, alright then, gotta hang up now, bye.” 

_“Good bye my little princess, call soon or else I’ll take you away again.”_ Zoro stiffened. Who in the hell says that they’ll take someone away again? Who the fuck were these people? 

_“Have fun with your new crew, my dear, [please] come visit soon.”_ Stuffing the snail back into your bag, you looked up to see Tashigi staring at you with wide eyes. 

Tashigi.exe has crashed. 

“Uh… they were just joking. I think.” The man at the counter was frozen still, staring at you in some new found light. He was also very in fact, scared for his life. So he did what other sane man would do, treat you like some sort of divine being. He bowed at a 90o angle, sweating profusely because he definitely did not want to die today, even if it were a joke. 

He was definitely _not_ going to take any chances. 

“Please! Help yourselves to anything! I am humbled to be in your presence!” You widen your eyes at his behavior. Oh no, the two of them have definitely broken the man. You didn’t mean to take the joke _this_ far. 

“Ah! No! It’s alright! I’m sorry that I made you scared because of them...” But it _was_ kind of funny. Ah, Phoenix must be rubbing off on you. 

“No! It’s my fault! I was trying to scam you friend, so it is the least I can do.” You gave him a sheepish smile. This man wasn’t that bad at all. Well, not _too_ bad at least. He seemed to have learned his lesson, so that was a good thing.

“Still...thank you!” You bowed, before turning to Zoro with a big smile. “You hear that Zoro? You can get a sword now. You won’t have to owe Nami anything!” 

“Yeah… I- wait, how did you know that I’d owe Nami?” He stared you down suspiciously.

“I saw it through a vision.” 

“A vision?” He mumbled, walking over to the bucket of swords. Sifting through it you, you answered him with a “yup”. Now beside Tashigi, you happily looped your arm through her own, and she blushed as you did so. “Are you some sort of psychic?” 

You stood there to yourself for a moment. “No, I don’t think I am. They kind of just come to me randomly.” 

“Huh.” It was silent then for a moment with only Zoro sifting through the barrel with furrowed brows until Tashigi broke it. 

“You must really like swords, carrying three of them around. That’s almost like this one bounty hunter out there.” You blinked at Tashigi. Did she not know…? Was she not paying attention to the call? Well, it might be better if she didn’t know, you thought. It was kind of like knowing important people like Mihawk and Doflamingo. If you didn’t cut him off before he finished saying ‘shichibukai’, who knows what kinds of things would happen. 

“Bounty hunter, huh?” Zoro mused. 

“He’s pretty famous. His name is Roronoa.” You clung to Tashigi like a koala, looking around the shop with a nervous gaze. But it would be alright. You had two of your friends with you. Looking down at your hands, you smiled at Phoenix. 

And you had Phoenix. 

Looking around, your eyes got something interesting. Unlatching arms with Tashigi, you approached the small little trinket in curiosity. Was this a sword? It was so tiny, probably the size of your finger. It had a black sheath decorated in gold. It was so pretty for a blade, and you felt comfortable enough to approach it. 

Hesitantly, you prodded it with your finger, testing to see if you would be okay. When you were, you picked up the small katana gingerly, staring at it intensely. You wanted to unsheath it, but you didn’t have enough courage to do so. You looked over at Tashigi. 

“Shigi, can you unsheath this for me?” Tashigi looked a little confused when you handed her the mini katana. She inspected it for a bit, not recognizing the blade, before unsheathing it. But she couldn’t. She handed it back to you, an apologetic smile on her face. 

“Sorry Y/n, I don’t think it’s meant to be unsheathed. I think it’s just a little key chain.” Your eyes wandered to the small katana in your hand. So it was a key chain? That meant that it couldn’t cut things, right? It wasn’t sharp. Eyes sparkling, you knew exactly what you wanted to get. 

Zoro looked at you with raised eyebrows as he pulled a blade from the bucket. “Are you _really_ going to get that?” 

“Yup! It’s cute, and it’s not sharp!” Your eyes caught his, and Zoro felt himself blush a little at the cute little sparkles in your eyes. “I’m going to put it on my bag!” Walking up to the counter, you greeted the man with a smile. 

“Can I buy this?” You gave him the keychain, and he raised a brow. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yup!” you answered with confidence. He slid it back over to you. 

“Well, I told you that you and your friend could have something for free, so you can have it free of charge. You tilted your head. 

“It’s not a keychain?” The man tensed a bit, remembering that you had a fear of sharp objects. 

“No, it’s definitely a keychain,” he reassured you. “If it weren’t, you would be able to unsheath it. Ah, besides, we don’t sell blades that small.” You nodded your head. Well that made a lot of sense. Who would even use a small blade? 

“Alrighty, thank you then!” Happily attaching the keychain to your bag, you held Phoenix tightly in your arms as you carefully maneuvered your way back to your two sword wielding friends. You laughed a little to yourself. If you had been inside the room a few years prior to your training with your Master, you probably would have had a heart attack. 

Mihawk did some good for you these past few years. 

“... that sword is listed as a Top O-Wazamono sword!” You jumped at Tashigi’s voice, looking back at her to see Zoro holding the sword he had pulled out of the bucket. “Is this blade really worth 50,000 berries?!” You looked back at the old man to see his reaction. He looked very uncomfortable. Did he not want to sell it? 

“Ah… yes..” the old man spoke reluctantly. You looked back at the sword in Zoro’s hand, noticing the beautiful purple color. You could hear a muffled voice the longer you stared at it. It was thirsty for blood. You steadily began to approach the sword without even knowing it as Tashigi and the store owner spoke to each other. 

Zoro examined the sword with a contemplative look in his eye. “A cursed sword, huh?” His eyes slowly wandered to you, who had somehow ended up by his side, eyes locked onto the sword. That’s odd. Didn’t you say that you were afraid of sharp objects? What were you doing so close to him? 

Your hand slowly stretched out to grab it and instinctively, Zoro made a move to grab your wrist. Blinking slowly, you looked up at Zoro with a confused look on your face. He looked angry. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” His hand gripped your wrist tighter. 

“I…” What _were_ you doing? The faraway voice had disappeared and you stared at the sword with sad eyes, slowly backing off. “I don’t.. I heard…” 

You shook your head, leaning up against Zoro, wary of the sword. “Sorry.. Thanks for stopping me, but I think you should take him.” The swordsman stared down at you in curiosity. 

_Him?_ He mused. Just what was going through your mind when you tried to grab it? You could probably tell that it was cursed too, considering that you had trained under Hawk-eye. He was planning on taking the sword, but with your reassurance, he felt himself wanting to take it even more. 

Call it intuition, but he felt that maybe it won’t be that bad having you on board. Maybe he had been reading you wrong, all too paranoid by everything that you did. The transponder snail, the large ass bounty, your Master… But if Luffy trusted you, you _had_ to be good. 

His hand subconsciously touched his healing wounds. 

And you healed him. Surely he would have died at Arlong Park without your help. His grip tightened around the sword. Besides, Mihawk seemed to be quite fond of you (especially with the conversation earlier), praising you about how kind you were. He sounded so proud too. 

It was so.. _weird_. 

Then again, Luffy was weird too. 

\--

His face held no expression as he stared at the cards that were clearly laughing up at his face. Though the fates would never lie, the one before him had to be a joke. Swiping a lock of blond hair to the side elegantly, Hawkins shuffled his cards back into the deck before laying them back out again.

Only to get the same result. 

“I will see my true love soon,” he mused. “The cards never lie.” Shuffling them back into the deck, he wondered curiously what his true love would look like. Would it be someone he would be able to tolerate? Someone he would dislike? The biggest question was whether or not his true love would like the life he led. 

Normally if this were any normal ‘you will see your true love soon’ then he would have brushed it off. He had no time for love in his life, whether it be true or untrue, and he would not want them to suffer because of the life that he chose, however, the cards had foretold that he would not be able to avoid them, that this person would be significant in his life. 

So if he could not get rid of them, then he must embrace it if fate wanted him to do so. 

The boat rocked gently against the waves, and Hawkins looked up to stare at the blue sky. He hoped that his true love was tolerable, that was probably the most important thing to him. It wasn’t looks, but compatibility. Hawkins didn’t want some slut who would go fucking every single person they come across, or was filled with greed. 

He’d prefer it if it were someone who would respect his choices and commune with quite well. 

_Three weeks._ He had three weeks until his _supposed_ ‘true love’ would show up and throw their way into his life. 

His hand twitched slightly, and he realized that he was still holding the new wanted posters in his hands. Looking down, his lips upturned slightly at the odd photo. Quite surprising that they had used such a photo. Eyes moving down, he read the name. 

_L/n D. Y/n._ Moving further down, he paused at the value. 

... _500 million._ His eyes moved to linger back on your distressed face as you were slinged over the shichibukai’s shoulder, who seemed to be having the time of his life. There was something about you that made him feel something, not romantically, but in a way, he felt that you had quite a fate in store for you. 

_L/n D. Y/n, may we meet soon._

\---

“Mamama!” The Sweet Commanders, along with other big names in the family were gathered at the table, very confused as to why their mother had called them in. Katakuri had his arms crossed as he sat at Big Mom’s side, eyes scanning his siblings that had joined the small gathering. 

“Mama, why have you called us?” he asked, voicing the question that was lingering on their minds. Big Mom laughed, gesturing for some of the chess soldiers to bring a piece of paper. It was a wanted poster to be exact. The soldier placed it down on the table so that they all could see it, and a few of them chuckled in amusement. 

“Mamama! Look! My wittle, little Y/n has become a pirate!” she laughed, cooing a bit. Cracker whistled as he got a closer look at the poster. 

“A starting bounty at 500 million? The marines must be desperate.” He laughed, before nudging Snack. “The little princess almost has a higher bounty than you. I think you gotta get your game up a little more.”

“I think it’s just because she’s naturally talented,” Snack huffed, causing Cracker to shrug. 

“Sure, whatever floats your boat, little brother.” Smoothie leaned forwards, resting her cheek on her hand, eyes trained on the wanted poster. Pulling it closer towards her, her eyes trailed to your form on Doflamingo’s shoulder. 

“Even so, you have to admit, that photo is rather ridiculous,” Smoothie spoke, chuckling a little. “To think that they would actually allow such a photo is quite absurd.” 

“It’s Y/n, what do you expect?” Oven spoke out. 

“I want to kill that bastard,” Daifuku growled under his breath. “How dare he manhandle a member of the family?!” Katakuri’s eyes flickered to his younger brother. 

“We are not killing him.” No matter how much he wanted to kill Doflamingo too, he also didn’t want you to be sad. Killing Doflamingo probably wouldn’t be a great thing. Well, it would, but not for you.

“Kukukuku~ I think Charlotte D. Y/n would look a lot nicer,” Perospero added to the conversation, brushing a lock of her bushy teal hair out of her face. “It has a nicer ring to it.” 

“I bet they would have raised her bounty if they knew she was connected to us,” Cracker said, swiping a cookie from the table. He propped his legs onto the table. “Then she probably would’ve had a higher bounty than _you_ , Snack-” 

“Why do you keep picking on me?” Snack complained. 

“Cracker.” The purple haired man huffed. 

“Yeah yeah, sorry Nii- _san_.” Cracker patted Snack’s back. “But you know, Charlotte Y/n does sound nice. Mama, can I marry her-” Cracker paused, suddenly feeling intense stares coming from all around him. Smoothie had a frown on her face as she crossed her legs, Katakuri was drilling holes into his head, Daifuku and Oven suddenly looked perturbed, and Perospero was licking his giant lollipop as his eyes watched him amusedly. 

Right, Katakuri also liked her. This was awkward. He didn’t want to steal his favorite brother’s crush, but at the same time he _really_ did like you too. There was only one way to solve this. 

“Eh… you wanna share?” Smoothie rolled her eyes, scoffing at his actions. 

“Y/n isn’t an object, Cracker,” she scolded him. Katakuri didn’t answer Cracker as he merely stared at him with an unknown emotion.

Now Katakuri loved all his siblings, and he could absolutely not say ‘no’ to them. But the thing was, he also _really_ liked you and he didn’t _exactly_ want to share, so he was stuck in a dilemma. He also knew that a few of his other siblings liked you too, and he didn’t exactly want this to turn into a huge polyship. And it would be rather weird, wouldn’t it? Would it count as incest if they all decided to have a polyamarous relationship with you? Oh dear, this escalated quickly. 

“Maybe…” Katakuri mumbled, deciding to look up at their mother who had been rather silent the entire time.

“Cracker, are you really trying to ask me for Y/n’s hand in marriage?” She asked, eyebrows raised as she leaned forwards. “And you dare say you want to share with Katakuri?” Her eyes flickered to her second son. She exhaled, suddenly looking lost in a daydream. 

“Ahh, as much as I’d love Y/n to marry into the family, I already promised her that she didn’t have to, I’m sure you remember that, _Cracker_.” Cracker felt himself sweating bullets. He was treading on thin ice right now. “Mamama!! But it would be quite exciting to have a Y/n marry two men. I only want my wittle Y/n to have the best husbands after all!” 

The siblings furrowed their brows. Wait, so did that mean- 

“I can just imagine it- the dress that she would wear, and the wedding cake!!” Her eyes drifted to all her children, namely Cracker and Katakuri. 

She wasn’t actually planning on getting you married to those two was she? 

“What if Y/n doesn’t like men, Mama?” Smoothie asked. The men all turned their heads to stare at the Commander with wide eyes. It was silent as Big Mom turned to look at Smoothie. 

“What are you trying to imply, Smoothie? Do you perhaps want to marry her as well?” 

“I’m only making sure that Y/n is comfortable,” she responded. Linlin thought to herself for a moment, leaning back into her chair. A frown settled on her face for a brief moment, before she smiled widely again. 

“Well I wouldn’t want Y/n-chan to be uncomfortable. I’d have you marry her too, of course.” Cracker stared open mouthed at Smoothie. He looked utterly mortified. 

“What?!” Oven and Daifuku exchanged glances. Was this seriously happening right now? 

Wait. _‘Too’_?! Did that mean...? They both raised their hands. 

"Can I marry Y/n too?" The two snapped their heads to look at each other, eyes glaring into the other's soul. 

Perospero sighed, leaning into the back of his chair. Everything was suddenly spiraling out of control; it was unbelievable. Sure, Perospero knew that you were quite the icon in the family (he knew the Katakuri fan-club loved you very much, actually, that was probably an overstatement-), but he seriously didn't think you were _that_ influential.

Sure, he liked you because you were pleasant to hang out with and you liked to do the same things he did and didn’t question him, and the fact that you seemed to enjoy his devil fruit abilities, or- He paused in his thoughts. 

He was rambling. 

Alright, so maybe you had quite the large influence on the family these past two years, but he never actually developed any romantic interest in you. Well, not that he knew of. And also, just the fact that the three commanders in the room wanted to marry you was quite… Well he didn’t exactly know what to think of the situation besides the fact that he felt very sorry for you. 

Especially when all of them were gigantic compared to your smaller size. 

He didn’t want to think what would happen if Mama were to ask you to bear her children. Good thing Mama listened to you and didn’t actually force you into relationships like everyone else. God, you were lucky or else this would have taken a darker turn. 

“Eh? So you all want to have a chance at her hand in marriage?” Big Mom laughed. “How surprising,” she mused. 

“Fine, I’ll allow you all a chance. Mamama!! You know if one of you (or all lol) end up marrying her, I’ll make sure it’s the grandest wedding ever!” Linlin’s mouth watered just at the thought of the huge ass wedding cake she would have. Ah, now she really wanted you to get married. 

She thought back to your cute little face and those innocent sparkling eyes, reminding her of the promise she had made to you. Honestly, she didn’t really know what she was thinking when she made that promise, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to break it without any repercussions. You knew the other Yonko, and if they found out, things were going to get hellish. 

There was only one thing that was going in Big Mom’s way, and it was the fact that you bonded with her children for the past year. Even _if_ she couldn’t force you to get married, her children still stood a chance. Ah, yes children. 

Big Mom briefly let her thoughts wander to a large wedding where you got married to her children. She never had a polyamourous wedding before, and she couldn’t help but feel excited. 

But wait- What if she had a _double wedding?_ No wait, what if she had you marry her best children? 

She felt her heart stop. That would be absolutely amazing! And you would get everything you would ever want, protection, a family, and she could take care of you and have tea parties with you everyday! “Mamama! Wouldn’t it be nice if you all married Y/n?” Everyone at the table exchanged glances. Perospero meanwhile face-palmed. 

Everyone at the table knew the answer, but it was not the right one. They either had to say ‘yes’ to appease their mother, or face the consequences. Either way, none of the options were good. 

“Mama, why don’t you, uh, let *Fairy-chan decide?” Perospero suggested, trying to quell the sudden change in mood coming from his younger siblings. Honestly, his mother was going to be the death of him, and if not her it would be his siblings.

_*Fairy-chan is Perospero's nickname for Y/n. It's short for Sugar-fairy._

“Yeah, I agree with Perosu-nii. I um, I don’t exactly want to marry Y/n,” Snack mumbled, but everyone at the table heard. They all began to glare daggers at him except for Katakuri and Perospero, who were just watching the whole ordeal play out, slightly concerned for his well being. 

“Why don’t you want to marry her?” Smoothie asked, narrowing her eyes. “Is she not good enough for you?” 

“Snack just can’t appreciate a beautiful woman,” Cracker spoke, crossing his arms, meeting Katakuri’s crimson eyes. “I meant angel.” Katakuri nodded in approval, and Cracker felt his heart swell. 

“Eh? Snack doesn’t want to marry Y/n? Do you not love her?” Big Mom narrowed her eyes at him, and he could feel his soul leaving his body. No it wasn’t like that, it wasn’t like that at all! He just didn’t want to get caught up in the drama. Especially not with Katakuri, Smoothie, or Cracker. 

He had a gut feeling that he should avoid the drama as much as possible. 

“No I like her, but I think Katakuri is a better fit for her..” He trailed off, looking to the side. Cracker looked unhappy at Snack’s words. The commander snapped his head to look at Katakuri who seemed to be happy hearing Snack’s words. 

“What? What about me?” 

“You’re too brash, Cracker,” Daifuku answered. Cracker looked appalled. 

“And you’re not?”

“Now now, I’m sure you can share Y/n somehow.” Big Mom laughed. “Mother always said that sharing is caring, and we care about Y/n, don’t we?” 

Yes they did care about Y/n, but some would say a little _too_ much. 

Linlin sighed, devouring the sweets that were set before her. “Ah mother, I want to show you Y/n so much. She is _so_ cute and precious with such a beautiful dream. She reminds me of you, Mother and our dream. Mother, I miss you. Please come back.” 

\---

“You look horrid,” Mihawk grumbled, polishing Yoru with a cloth. Doflamingo laughed beside him, placing the snail that looked like you back into his pocket. The two of them were currently in Mariejois due to an unexpected and short notice meeting. Nevertheless, the two attended as they had done in the past when you were still with them. 

Old habits die hard, they supposed. 

“Horridly amazing, Mihawk. Look at my beautiful features, Fufufufu~ Ah, but my little princess is the most stunning one in the photo.” Doflamingo chuckled, eyes still trained on the beautiful photo. 

“I believe that is because everyone else is unsightly.” Doflamingo looked at Mihawk with a raised eyebrow. He looked back at the wanted poster, before throwing his head back to laugh. 

“Are you calling yourself ugly? My my, and here I took your to be a narcissist.” Mihawk gazed at Doflamingo, unamused. He placed down Yoru carefully against the table, before looking straight up at the flamingo who decided to sit on the table in front of him. 

“The only narcissist is you, Doflamingo. My student is so beautiful that when compared to others, they look absolutely undesirable. And yes, I would say that includes myself.” 

“As it should be.” The two looked to the door to see Hancock with her hands on her hips, strutting towards them. “Men are disgusting creatures. Of course _my_ Y/n would be far more beautiful than yourselves.” She scrunched up her nose slightly at the marine who was ogling her. “Tch, disgusting pig.” 

“Boa Hancock, I’m surprised to see that you showed up,” Doflamingo commented. She brushed her hair to the side, elegantly sitting down on the chair as a marine quickly pushed her chair in. 

“Tsk, I only came here because I was informed that this meeting was about my precious Y/n.” At your name, her face red, and she slapped her hands on her cheeks. “AHH!! I’m so proud of her! I can’t believe my Y/n became a pirate already!” She coughed into her hand, clearing her throat. 

“I mean- You should all be disappointed in yourselves that Y/n has a higher bounty than you.” It was then that Crocodile and Jinbe decided to walk in the room. Crocodile let smoke escape his lips as he puffed on his cigar. 

“I don’t care, Hancock.” She gave him a frustrated look. 

“Well if you don’t care, you obviously don’t care for Y/n. Tsk, stupid men. This is why Y/n should be with me, someone who actually understands her instead of pretending to understand.” 

“If anything, I think you give the least damn of what she wants,” Crocodile retorted. 

“Now now, I don’t think we should be fighting right now,” Jinbe spoke, trying to quell the rage between the two reptiles. “Let us not forget what we came here for.” 

“Kishishishishi! You fools are fighting already?” Moria laughed as he took his place in the room, plopping down beside Kuma. 

“Y/n has always been the mediator,” Kuma spoke, flipping through his bible. “Perhaps that is why.” The seven of them immediately took their seats as Sengoku and Garp walked in through the door. 

“It’s nice of you seven to join us today,” Sengoku spoke, except it was anything but nice. Not when pirates were involved. Garp laughed as he sat besides the fleet admiral, pulling out photos of his precious granddaughter. 

“Now who’s ready to talk about how cute my little granddaughter is?” Sengoku merely sighed as Garp and the shichibukai bonded over how cute you were. Seriously, why the hell was he the supervisor of this event that happened practically every month? And they even called themselves a club, naming themselves the ‘Y/n is the best and I love her club’. 

He grumbled under his breath, watching them interact in such passion as he munched on his beloved rice crackers. This was probably more of an auction than a club actually, with Garp selling photos he stole from Kizaru to the seven idiots. 

Somewhere on Marineford, Kizaru sneezed. 

Doflamingo laughed as he looped an arm around Mihawk’s shoulder, and Mihawk looked like he wanted nothing to do with the man. Crocodile and Boa were throwing as much money at Garp for this one photo they both wanted, and Kuma, meanwhile, was sneaking a photo off the table. 

“I wonder why I come to this every month,” Jimbe quietly spoke to himself, before his eyes spotted a cute photo of you as a child. 

Nevermind, he knew why he came every month. 

“Oh right, this pathetic shopkeeper tried to scam my little princess today.” The room was quiet for a moment as everyone watched Doflamingo with wide eyes. 

**_“What.”_ **

\---

**Extra:**

“Noo!! Don’t do it!” Zoro smirked as he threw the sword into the air. You stood in your place near Tashigi (Zoro had made sure that you were far away from the stunt that he was going to pull) as you watched the sword fly into the air and hit-

… the ceiling. 

Everyone’s faces blanked at the fact that the cursed sword was now stuck in the ceiling. You laughed a little, leaning into Tashigi just a bit. You supposed that the cursed sword was no match for ceilings. Haha.

**CRASH!**

Or not. 

You covered your eyes, coughing a bit as the roof caved in where Zoro stood. 

“Oh my gosh!” Tashigi exclaimed from beside you. 

Oh my gosh indeed. 

The ceiling had suddenly caved in, collapsing at an alarming rate like Greenland’s glaciers, but none of it had hit Zoro, miraculously, but the cursed sword was nowhere to be seen. It was probably buried underneath the rubble. Zoro sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. Man, he didn’t think _that_ would happen. He didn’t throw it that high up either. His eyes instinctively glanced over at you to make sure that you were alright, but his eyes had widened when he did so. 

Tashigi and the old man looked at Zoro’s frozen state, eyes following his line of vision back to you, and Tashigi let out a terrified gasp. You furrowed your brows in confusion. 

“What?” 

Looking to your left, your nose barely touched the sharp blade of the cursed sword. Oh, so that’s what had flown past your face. You were silent for a moment. 

Wait. 

You yelped, immediately appearing behind Zoro. You almost got a face full of metal. You almost died. How the heck did that sword go from where Zoro stood to the otherside of the room? You buried your face deep into Zoro’s torso, eyes brimming with tears. 

“Zoro… I’m scared…” you cried into his back. The man stiffened, craning his head to look at your terrified form. “Can we please go. Please? Or hold my hand?” you begged. “I don’t want to be in here anymore…” You sniffled, holding onto him tighter. 

“Ack, fine! Stop crying on me!” he grumbled, trying to push you back, but not too hard so that you’ll go stumbling into the swords behind you. You slowly released him, and he sighed, reaching forwards to grab your hand, intertwining your fingers together. 

“There, is that better?” he asked, a little annoyed that this was his first mate. In a way, you were just like Luffy. You wiped your tears a bit. 

“Yeah.” You looked at Tashigi, stretching your hand out. “H-Hold my hand too?” 

In the end the shopkeeper was so terrified by your near death experience that he had allowed Zoro to have his family heirloom. And Phoenix got a kick out of that. 

Oh, and a certain shopkeeper of Love Love Pirates received another terrifying phone call that he for sure had shit his pants at. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a little long XD.
> 
> Also, I have decided to add 'secondary love interests'. These love interests may or may not have an ending and will be there for comedic effect or to add tension to the story. Buggy and Caesar are some of them.


	23. The Chef, the Navigator, and the Idiots in Wano

**Chapter Sixteen: The Chef, the Navigator, and the Idiots in Wano**

* * *

“A cursed sword, huh? Interesting,” Zoro mused as he stared at the sword in his hand, leaning against the public staircase he sat down at. You were long gone, having had a small mission of your own to find Luffy. That was right, _you_. It was weird to think that the students of Hawk-eye would be scared shitless by sharp objects. If you couldn’t use a sword, then what _could_ you do? He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Luffy until he had somehow appeared in front of his face.

“Oh! That’s a cool sword you have!” 

“Damn! Don’t scare me like that!” Zoro yelled. Luffy put his hands to his hips as he looked at Zoro. 

“What are you doing here, Zoro?” he asked. Zoro scoffed. “No, what are _you_ doing here?” he fired back. 

“Me? Hm,” Luffy wiped his nose with his hand before proudly speaking with a smile, “I’m lost.” Zoro sweatdropped. 

“Why are you acting so cocky about that?” 

_And wasn’t that his job?_

“Hey, did you see Y/n anywhere? Somehow I can’t find her..” Luffy pouted a bit. “I _really_ want to see her, but I don’t know where she is. I need to make sure that my first mate knows that we’re here.” Zoro let out a small yawn, leaning back against the stone stairs a little. 

“Y/n? I saw her a while ago when I got my swords.” He lifted his swords up in reference, before looking up at Luffy who had an odd expression on his face. 

“Did she go inside?” 

“Er, yeah?” 

“IS SHE OKAY?!” Luffy yelled, pulling Zoro by the collar of his shirt and shaking him back and forth roughly. 

“Oi Oi Oi! Don’t pull on my shirt and just ask me like a regular person! And I don’t know, she _looked_ okay!” Zoro now had his hand on Luffy’s shirt collar. “And let me go!” 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” 

“-Hey! There he is!” The two of them stopped their fighting to look at the source of the person yelling. A group of pirates had surrounded a [man ](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/onepiece/images/5/5c/Daddy_Masterson_Anime_Infobox.png/revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/450?cb=20150826015538)adorning a cowboy hat and a cloak. Luffy sat down on the stairs beside Zoro, a confused look on his face. 

“What’s that?” The two of them watched as the man single handedly defeated the men without even pulling out a weapon, avoiding the bullets so that the men would hit each other. Luffy’s eyes shined at how awesome that feat was, before immediately realizing that he was being distracted. 

“So where’s Y/n?” 

\---

“Don’t you dare!” 

You jumped at the commotion, fiddling with the straps of your bag as Phoenix nestled onto your shoulder. It sounded like yelling. Maneuvering yourself carefully through the crowd, you found yourself staring at a very disheveled Sanji and a very dizzy woman being carried away by two men. 

Well, disheveled might not be the right word. 

“Sanji?” The man immediately perked up, snapping his head in your direction. It was it…? It couldn’t be… His eyes widened when he saw your confused face staring down upon him. Sanji’s eyes watered, and his tears blurring the hand that was outstretched to him. 

“Y/n- _hime_?” You blinked. 

“What?” Not even a second later you found yourself picked off the ground, with Sanji spinning you around. Phoenix was on your shoulder squawking, flapping off and clearly disgruntled by the sudden movement. 

“Y/n- _hime_ , my goddess!!” Sanji cried out, squeezing you tightly against his chest. “Oh how I’ve missed you! The gods have graced me in your beautiful and lovely presence, I am eternally grateful!” Your eyes flashed gold for a second. 

_“I don’t want to marry her.”_

“I have traveled lands far and wide to see you, my beautiful princess.” Sanji paused, before placing you back down to earth (well, not exactly Earth perse). He pulled out a small little key chain, holding it out for you to see. It was a tea cup with a little charm that said ‘A cup of TEA solves everything’. 

Holding it gently in your palms, you marveled at the little trinket. It was so cute! You shook your head, trying to clear your thoughts, especially having another vision. They were getting too frequent after you had put those bracelets on. Maybe it was the bracelets that were affecting it. But wait. 

_Who did Sanji not want to marry?_

“I got them just for you, Y/n-hime. I- Do you not like it?” Sanji asked, seeing the frustrated look on your face. You put your hands up in surprise. 

“Yes! I mean, no, I love it! It’s so cute! Now I’ll have more charms to put on my backpack!” You smiled up at him, very grateful that he thought of so much, despite having only met for a brief moment. “How did you know I like tea?” 

“Ah, I asked Luffy about it. I want to make sure I have everything ready for my goddess!” You sweat dropped a bit at his nickname for you. 

“You don’t have to call me that. Y/n is fine too-” Sanji suddenly looked appalled. Did you say something wrong?” 

“I would never want to disrespect someone as radiant as you!” You nodded a bit, grabbing your bag off your shoulder. The sword keychain moved a bit as you did so, and you smiled, very happy that you now had two keychains. 

“Well thank you for not wanting to, but it’s fine.” Sanji’s eyes suddenly caught the other keychain on your backpack, and he scowled a bit, instantly reminded of a certain marimo. 

“Where did you get that keychain?” You tilted your head in confusion, eyes tracing to where Sanji held his gaze at. Finding yourself staring at the sword keychain, you smiled, pointing to it. 

“You mean this one? I got it when I went into a sword-shop. Oh yeah, and Zoro was there too!” Sanji felt his mood sour. What. That moss head got to see you before he did? This was unbelievable! Totally unfair! 

“Anyways, are you doing some shopping, Sanji?” you asked, not looking up at him as you were busy trying to clasp the keychain on your backpack. He watched as you furrowed your brows, trying to get it on your backpack with difficulty. After a while, you huffed cutely, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

“Can you help me? It’s not working…” He bit his lip as you held the back pack out for him to take, his hands brushing over your own slightly, sending jubilant tingles down his hands. Quickly clasping it on, he handed it back to you, immediately forgetting all about his soured mood when you thanked him. 

“You’re the best! Haha..” 

_HE WAS THE BEST?!_ Ha, beat that marimo. 

Sanji, felt like he was on cloud nine. Just hearing his name repeatedly come out of that beautiful mouth of yours was absolute heaven. It was a dream come true. He cleared his throat, looking away. 

_Come on, keep it together.._ Fixing his suit, he smiled. He had to look gentlemanly. Girls like gentlemen. Right. 

“To answer your question, yes, I am out shopping right now. I need to make sure we’re stocked up before our journey. I was also thinking of making some scones.” He watched as your eyes sparkled in awe, and he felt as though someone was stabbing him through the chest multiple times with a spear. 

_SO CUTE!!_

“I love scones! That makes me so excited! Do you need any help with the shopping?” Sanji could have cried right then and there. What a beautiful and kind and helpful girl you were! This was exactly why you were his goddess in the first place. 

“Are you okay Sanji? You have a little blood coming out of your nose.” He quickly wiped away with his sleeve, nodding. 

_Pure thoughts, pure thoughts, pure thoughts-_

“Of course! Always when I’m with you!” You grinned happily up at him, looping your arm around his own. You were going to give him a heart attack if you didn’t stop. The two of you began walking down the markets, and you pointed out small things that made him smile. 

_So precious…_

“Oh yeah, who was that woman earlier? She looked pretty mad before she did that weird spinning trick.” Sanji felt his heart stop, his head shakily turned towards your face as you inspected some raspberries. You.. You didn’t see what happened did you! Oh dear lord he hoped you didn’t catch him cheating on you. He had eyes for only you, he swore! 

“She was just a fellow chef,” Sanji answered. “She asked me to join in on the cooking competition.” Sanji bought the raspberries and you happily ate them as the two of you walked along the streets, skipping a bit in your steps. 

Swallowing a raspberry, you asked, “You mean that cooking competition for the big fish only found in the South Blue?” The Vinsmoke blinked slowly. 

“What?” 

The bracelets around your bracelets jangled a bit as you popped another raspberry into your mouth. “The prize for winning the competition is a Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna.” You stretched your arm out and Phoenix flapped down, landing on it. 

Feeding him a raspberry, he gave you a grateful smile, nuzzling into your cheek before taking off again. You turned to look back at Sanji, who seemed a little surprised by the phoenix’s appearance.

“You have a bird?” You looked back up at the sky, chewing on a raspberry, before swallowing it. 

“I like to think of him more of a friend. His name is Azar, but I like to call him Phoenix. Ah, but he doesn’t like that very much.” You giggled a bit, hiding your mouth behind your hand. “You know, I think you should participate in the cooking competition. Your food tastes really good, so I’m sure you’ll win.” He tilted his head down to look at you. 

“How did you know I cooked the food I served you?” 

“I just know. You can say it was intuition.” You paused in your footsteps. “So do you think you’ll participate in the competition? I think it would be a great resource to have on the ship. I’m sure you’ve realized how much Luffy eats, right?” 

He opened his mouth to respond except a growl from your stomach caused him to pause. Your face burned bright red, and you sheepishly looked away, stuffing another raspberry into your mouth. 

“Are you hungry?” You averted your eyes as he leaned over to stare at your face. 

“..I’m supposed to be one of the judges, so I wasn’t allowed to eat anything yet…” That was right. It was probably a few days ago that you had been scouted as a judge for the cooking competition because you had been individually naming ingredients that were used in each food that you ate, and giving critiques and pointers to the chefs over at the Marine headquarters. 

Apparently word got around that you had excellent tasting skills and you were asked out of the blue one day with Smokey to be a judge. As a person who found it hard to say ‘no’, you had agreed, much to Smoker’s annoyance. 

“You… Did you at least eat breakfast?” You timidly shook your head. Sanji frowned, before tugging you along. 

This won’t do. This won’t do at all! 

“Where is that cooking competition? I’ll cook you something delicious so that you won’t have to be hungry anymore!” He was going to make sure that you were fed. It was just so infuriating that people would dare to tell you to not eat. Sure it was for a competition, but that was absolutely in _no way_ how you should treat an angel; a goddess. 

It wasn’t okay, but those people didn’t deserve to be in your presence anyways. He was going to make sure you were treated how you should- delicately and treated like care. Ahh, just thinking at the fact that you were going to eat his food was sending bursts of euphoria inside his body. 

He couldn’t wait to cook for you and win this fucking competition just for you. 

\---

“Wow, that’s quite a large crowd,” Namis spoke to herself, attempting to look over people’s shoulders to see what was going on. From what the announcer was saying, she discovered that it was a cooking competition for a blue-fin elephant tuna, whatever that was. Walking forwards a bit with Usopp trailing behind, her eye caught a familiar figure. 

“Hey! Look over there!” She pointed to Sanji conversing with a rather loud and abrasive woman with pink hair. 

“Wait, that’s Sanji!” Usopp spoke. The two began to shout to their fellow crewmate. 

“Sanji!”

“Sanji- _kun_!” The blond man whipped his head in the direction of the voices, face breaking out into a smile when he saw Nami. 

“Nami-san!! You came here to give me your support?!” he gasped, before internally scolding himself. You had to be watching him right now from your spot at the judges table, and he felt shame rising inside of him. He spared you a glance, and when the two of you locked eyes, you waved cheerfully at him. 

His heart felt a little lighter. So beautiful and pure. 

Even if he loved all women and cherished them, you would always be number one on his list. 

“-These are the judges! To be honest we asked Sam-san, a member of the general audience on his way home from a wedding party, to join the judges!” Nami’s eyes flickered over to the judges, and she widened her eyes when she saw your familiar face. 

“Hey, isn’t that Y/n?” she spoke aloud, remembering the scary phone call Usopp was telling her about a few hours ago and how you helped him get all his stuff for free and made sure he didn’t get scammed. He gushed a lot about you, and how kind you were to him and didn’t seem at all that scary. His words made Nami feel that maybe Zoro was wrong. You weren’t going to do any harm to them. Well, not any more than Luffy has anyways. 

At that thought, she felt a grin make its way up her face. You were going to be a great partner in crime. With you by her side, the two of you could get all the discounts! Just thinking about it made her think of all the money she would save. 

Internally, she thanked Luffy for finding such a dependable person. 

“Ah yes, Y/n- _hime_ is one of the judges for today, and I promised her that I would cook her the best meals.” Sanji gazed back up at you with a lovesick gaze. “Ah… Y/n- _hime_ , my goddess!” he shouted up to you. His heart melted when you gave him a little wave. 

“And as our special guest today we have Y/n- _san_!” The crowd roared in applause at the sound of your name, especially when you had made a lasting impact this past week. Helping people, giving people kind smiles, always looking so cheerful, and keeping the crime rates down, you truly were a blessing. 

“Y/n- _sama_! You look beautiful!” 

“Y/n- _sama_!” 

“Her innocence is so blinding!” Nami looked around at all the attention you were receiving with a curious look. 

“Seems like our first-mate is famous,” Nami spoke, before grinning evilly. And that meant bargains. Usopp backed away from Nami slightly, peeved by the look on her face. 

“Oh yeah Sanji, did you want to be the best cook in the East Blue?” Usopp asked him. Sanji shook his head, eyes still trained on you. 

Oh beautiful angel; goddess from above, you were the only one in his eyes. Your beauty is blinding, and the smiles were as if happiness itself. You didn’t know how happy he was to cook for you- and since you were his first-mate, he was able to cook for you everyday now. 

Just thinking about it set his heart afire. 

“My beautiful goddess~ I love you ~” he cooed, causing Usopp and Nami to back up a bit. Usopp leaned into Nami, whispering into her ear. 

“Do you think Sanji’s acting weird?” he asked quietly. Nami huffed. 

“He’s always weird, flirting with women. Honestly, I’d be surprised if he didn’t act this way with her.” But still, Nami felt something weird twisting inside of her. She couldn’t help but feel as though Usopp was kind of right. Sanji’s flirting felt a little different. No, that couldn’t be right. He just loved women. 

Yeah, that was it. 

“So are you trying to be the best cook in the East Blue, Sanji?” Usopp repeated, since the man didn’t answer his question earlier, to busy daydreaming about a certain first-mate. 

“No, I just want to cook for my goddess. Apparently those fools thought that they should starve her so that she could eat the food they were going to serve for the competition, those bastards,” Sanji grumbled, a dark look overcoming his expression. “That is _not_ how you’re supposed to treat a lady.” 

He blinked, eyes wandering over to the fish. “And I want to cook that fish,” he added with a lighter tone. 

“Eh?! They were starving her?!” Nami and Usopp yelled in unison. “That’s terrible! She must be really hungry!” 

Usopp and Nami were currently picturing you not eating for several days as tears fell from their eyes. How terrible!! That’s not how you treat an innocent girl like you!! Nami aggressively pushed Sanji towards the event. 

“Hurry up and cook something for our first mate! She looks starving up there!” If you died, who would Nami go shopping with?! Who would help her get all them bargains? How would she be able to pay you back for treating them at Baratie?! 

“I know I know. I’m wishing that they’d hurry up and start the competition. Look at her sad face up there. My poor Goddess.” 

\---

In the end, Sanji won the cooking competition and you got fed. All were happy. Well, maybe not _all_ , but most. That being you and Sanji. You moaned in pleasure, holding your hand to your cheek as you scooped more food into your mouth. Sanji was such an excellent cook, the food tasted so _heavenly_. 

“Y/n- _chan_ , right?” You blinked, looking up from your spot to see Nami and Usopp staring down at you with sparkles in their eyes. You pulled the spoon out of your mouth, licking the rice off your face 

“Usopp and Nami? What are you guys doing here? Oh yeah, you didn’t get scammed again did you, Usopp? If you did, I’ll make sure to talk to the person!” Usopp laughed a little, a faint blush on his cheeks as he placed his hand behind his head. 

“No no! I didn’t get scammed again! Th-Thank you for being concerned!” You nodded your head, eating more fried rice. 

“That’s good- Oh Sanji, do you need help?” Your eyes had caught onto Sanji’s form holding the large fish in his hands. His eyes morphed into hearts at the sound of your suggestion. 

“Y/n- _hime_ my goddess!! You don’t need to worry about me!! Usopp can carry it!! I would never want a goddess such as yourself to succumb to such manual labor!” Usopp grumbled as Sanji gestured to him with a frown on his face. 

“Why do _I_ have to carry it…” he grumbled a little, before pausing when your bright eyes were locked onto him. 

“Thank you Usopp!! You must be really strong to be able to carry that fish!” His jaw dropped, and he laughed. 

“W-Well of course I can carry that fish!” He stuttered. “I’m a great warrior of the sea, with thousands of men to do my bidding! I-” He abruptly stopped when Nami hit him on the head.

“Don’t spew your lies onto Y/n-chan!” she shouted as you shoved another spoonful of rice into your mouth. Nami looked back at you with a slightly flushed face, and she was internally screaming at how cute and innocent you were. 

There was no way in hell that you could ever be an enemy, damn that Zoro for plaguing her thoughts!

“Y/n- _chan_ ~” Nami cooed as you set your bowl aside so that the four of you could get a move on. “Let’s go shopping together!!” You paused in your footsteps, eyes wide. 

“Shopping?” Your eyes started to sparkle, and you happily grabbed Nami’s hand. “Yeah! Let’s go shopping! Oh wait, but you’re carrying a lot of stuff already. Should we drop it off first?” Nami chuckled, chucking her stuff on top of the fish. 

“Nah, the boys can carry it. Come on, time to find some deals!” She giggled as she pulled you down the streets, leaving the two men by themselves. Sanji frowned as he watched your retreating form. 

He wanted to be with you more, but Nami had decided to take you away. For some reason, it left an unsettling feeling in his heart. It wasn’t as if Nami was going to _do_ anything, she was a girl. And yet he couldn’t help the narrowing of his eyes. 

“AHHH! That’s so cute!!” Nami squealed as you walked out of the dressing room wearing a cute, short, pink lace dress (or some other dress, it doesn't really matter). “I have to get that for you!”

 _I?_ You wondered, eyes trailing over to look at the growing pile of clothes that Nami was planning to buy you. 

“Uhm… Nami? Isn’t this a lot of clothes? I can pay for them-” She quickly placed a hand to cover your mouth, eyes closed as she breathed in. 

“Don’t be like that Y/n- _chan_! I’m buying these for you because I care about our first-mate!” And because she knew she was going to get awesome deals because of you, but she wasn’t going to tell you that. 

The two of you were currently in a clothes shop, mostly filled with cute and rather expensive clothing. Your eyes wandered over to the cute little pink pastel hoodie up for sail, and Nami, noticing your gaze, immediately went over to pick it up. 

“I didn’t know you were a fan of hoodies,” she commented, holding it out to see if it would look good on you. Who was she kidding, of course it would look good on you. “I’ll get this one for you too.” 

“Aren’t you going to get something too, Nami?” you asked, looking ever more worried at the large pile of clothes. Why was she buying this for you? You had money. Why was she being so nice to you? 

She waved you off with a smile. Sure she knew you had money, those expensive gems on your wrists told her everything, but that wasn’t the case. 

If she were being honest, you were kind of like a doll to Nami. So innocent and pure, and so obedient- she felt the need to dress you up and take care of you and protect you in this world of cruelty. Never would she want you to encounter people like Arlong (though little did she know, you had met worse), and she didn’t want you to experience the things she’s experienced. 

In this era of pirates, innocence like you was hard to find, too corrupted by others. So it was practically a miracle, as if the gods up above were gracing the world with your purity. You were too good for the people in this world, and she wanted to make sure you would never change; that you would continue being you. 

She had already thought wrongly of you before she had even met you, too clouded in her judgement from Zoro’s suspicion. Maybe, in a way, Nami wanted to redeem herself. She wanted this to be her sorry for judging you so quickly. 

“Nami? Are you okay?” Your voice broke her out of her thoughts, and she gave you a big smile, to which you reciprocated. “After this, how about I show you a good place to eat? I’ll pay because you’ve been so nice to me!” 

_So pure…_ Nami had to squint to see you from the blinding light you were radiating. 

“O-Okay! But you don’t have to!” 

“You don’t have to buy me clothes, but you do it anyway,” you smartly retorted. “Also, I want to do this. We’re nakama after all now! And that means we’re going to have each other’s backs.” Nami felt her cheeks heat up at the pure smile on your lips. 

You were definitely too good for this world. 

Quickly purchasing the goods (to which the shop owner stuttered when he saw that it was you) and getting some _very_ good discounts, Nami watched in fascination as you shoved all the clothes into your small bag. What kind of sorcery was this? 

Noticing her curious gaze, you glanced up. “This is my bottomless bag! It’s a bag that doesn’t have a bottom, so I can put anything inside.” You fiddled with the straps a bit shyly, before grabbing another dress to shove inside. 

“The things kind of shrink down and organize themselves. It’s kind of like Bege’s ability... oh, I guess you wouldn’t know who Bege is,” you spoke the last part as an [afterthought](https://media.tenor.com/images/91e477c5e6500c589adecb589009c41c/tenor.gif). Shoving the last bit of clothes inside, you held it up for Nami to see. “Pretty cool right?” 

Nami peered inside, eyebrows raising when she saw that the inside of the bag was pitch black, as if it were an endless void of nothingness. A bottomless bag? But that’s breaking the laws of physics!

“H-How… how do you get your stuff out?” 

“Have you played video games before?” Nami shook her head, and you frowned. “Well, there’s a screen that pops into my head and I just choose one, though sometimes I can just pull whatever I need out. It’s really useful!” 

Nami nodded her head, still having no idea what you’re saying, but she was going to go along with it. She jumped a bit when you grabbed her hand, tugging her down the streets with you. 

“Come on! I’ll show you the place I was talking about earlier!” Leading the navigator to a small cafe, you opened the door for her, and she smiled at your kind gesture.

Sitting down at a table, you noticed a small mirror positioned towards the two of you. It reminded you of Brulee, which in turn reminded you of the Charlottes. That thought made you smile. 

“What are you smiling about, Y/n?” Nami asked you as the waiter handed the two of you menus. She glared slightly at the man who had his hand linger on yours for a little too long. Stupid men. 

You giggled a bit, not noticing the man’s advancements. “I was just thinking about some friends I haven’t seen in a while.” Nami nodded her head, watching as the waiter retreated with furrowed brows. 

Little did the two of you know several pairs of eyes were watching you through the mirror. 

\---

“Make sure there isn’t a single dirty spot on it or else Kaido- _san_ will have your heads!” Jack roared as his lackeys hurried up the cleaning pace. The men furiously scrubbed the statue, making sure that every inch of it was spotless. 

_My head possibly as well…_ He internally thought. 

“Oi Jack, did those lackeys of yours finish cleaning the statue yet?” King asked, walking up to the man. His eyes wandered to the spotless statue in the center of Flower Paradise City and sighed a little, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly. 

Damn, even as a statue you were beautiful. 

Yes, that was right, there was currently a statue of you in the middle of Flower Capital. Actually, there were several statues of you located in Wano. Now, you could call it an obsession, but Kaido would deny it. What he had for you was love, a fatherly love he liked to say, and it was _obviously_ not an obsession. 

And because he loved you, he had to make sure everyone knew that too. 

Hence why there were so many statues in Wano of your beauty. Well, it wasn’t the _only_ reason, but it was the main reason. People down in Wano didn’t like you, they _loved_ you and worshipped you like a goddess because to them, you were one. 

Every time you visited the rivers were miraculously clean once more, and the rice fields grew at an astonishing rate. Heck, even Kaido stopped his factories when you came over, and that was a miracle in itself. You brought life wherever you went, and with your kindness, you made sure everyone was fed. To the people of Wano, you were their blessing, and so they worshiped you as a result, and looked forward to the days that you would visit. 

“Did you see the new wanted posters?” King spoke, as Queen steadily approached. “Looks like Y/n’s on her way towards her dream. She would have been much better with us. We can support her dreams much more than mere rookies, and she would gain protection from us. Then again, I suppose the Big Mom pirates would have waged war on us if we did so.” 

“You sadistic pervert, I think you just want Y/n to stay here,” Queen commented, sitting down besides the statue. “Look at you, you really are a pervert. Little Y/n doesn’t need your love, or yours Jack.” 

“...” Jack didn’t say anything, looking away from Queen as King scoffed, glaring slightly in Jack’s direction

“Queen, I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.” Folding his arms together, King also averted his eyes, attempting to hide the blush on his cheeks. “W-Where is Page One? He should be here with the finish.” 

That was right, they needed to paint the statue with a gloss so that it would shine, per Kaido’s orders. It wasn’t very annoying actually, since all they had to do was oversee the operation itself. Actually, they probably would have done this even if Kaido didn’t order it. Especially with how well known you were in Wano.

“Look at you stuttering and changing the topic,” Queen laughed before his eyes caught Page One in the distance. “Look who finally decided to join us, you piece of crap.” 

“Who are you calling a piece of crap?!” Was what Page One wanted to say. Except he didn’t want to get killed by not respecting his superiors. So, sucking in his pride, he apologized. But seriously, it wasn’t really his fault. It was those stupid lackeys who kept him. Why would he want to be late with the gloss? 

“Tch, as long as you got the gloss. Honestly, you shits can’t even respect her…” Queen grumbled, glaring at the lackeys to hurry up. 

“And you think dancing with her is respecting her?” King retorted. 

“Oi, what are you trying to imply, eh King?” Queen growled, leaning in King’s face with a threatening look. 

“What do you think I’m trying to imply? Your dancing is shit.” 

“NANI?! Shut the fuck up, Y/n loves my dancing. I bet your jealous ‘cause _you’re_ the one who’s shit at it.” 

“EH?! Are you trying to pick a fight with me, Queen?”

“Are _you_?” 

And so, as the two men bickered on the brink of a brawl, somewhere on Onigashima was Kaido, getting seriously drunk. 

“K-Kaido- _sama_ , don’t you think you’re drinking a b-bit much?” 

“Eh?” Kaido lifted his gaze to meet the idiot who dared to speak to him. Leaning down a little, he glared. “Are you saying that I shouldn’t celebrate such a great day today? Are you trying to say that Little Y/n isn’t important enough for you? _Huh_?” 

“N-No no no! Of course not!!” The man sweated profusely as Kaido gave him the stink eye. 

“Worororororo! Of course you wouldn’t be lying!” Kaido exclaimed with a laugh, shaking the island with his movements and thunderous laughter. “Y/n is to great to not be worshipped!! You would be a fool to not like her.” 

He leaned forwards, a threatening look on his face. 

“Isn’t that right?” 

“Y-Yes!” Tears began to stream down Kaido’s face, and everyone in the room sweat dropped at his intense mood swings. Drunk Kaido was not a very safe Kaido. The only person who could quell Kaido’s drunkenness and mood swings was you, which was mostly the reason why there were a bunch of pictures of you in the room so that he wouldn’t get all pissy and start killing people at random. 

Of the photos in the room, one was your wanted poster, and ironically, was the reason as to why he was drinking. He was celebrating your start of a pirate career and getting a starting bounty oof 500 million berries by getting drunk. 

“My little Y/n- _chan_ is too good for this world!” he cried, wiping the waterfall of tears that were now flowing down his face. “She’s finally making her dream come true!!” 

_Ah… It’s so awkward watching a grown man cry_. The lackeys around him sweat dropped. 

“But…” 

_But…?_ His lackeys wondered. 

“DAMN YOU DOFLAMINGO HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER IN SUCH A WAY! IF YOU WEREN’T SUPPLYING MY SMILEs YOU WOULD BE DEAD WHERE YOU STAND! AGHHHH!!” Kaido yelled as he picked up one of the men and chucked him out through the wall. 

“AHHH KAIDO- _SAMA_!” they all screamed, quickly pulling out photos of you to arm themselves.

This was going great. _Just_ great. 

\---

“Wow! So this is the scenery that the King of the Pirates saw…” Luffy mused as he gazed down at Loguetown from the execution platform. “I’ll find Y/n in no time!” He laughed a bit, staring off into the distance. 

_“Luffy!! Ace!! Sabo! Where are we going?” you asked confusedly with a blind fold over your eyes. The boys chuckled from around you as they guided you into the bandit’s hut._

_“I told you already Y/n, it’s a surprise!” Ace laughed as he pushed you inside the hut. You yelped a bit as you tripped over some of the flooring, and Sabo sighed from beside him._

_“Ace, you have to be gentle.”_

_“Ha? I_ am _being gentle!”_

_“Y/n! We’re going to ea-” Luffy cried in pain as the older boys hit him in the head, effectively shushing him. He cradled the top of his head as a welt began to form._

_“Luffy! Shut up or you’ll spoil the surprise!” they whisper-yelled in unison._

_“What’s Dadan and the others doing in the corner?” you asked, causing the three of them to go silent. Despite having a blind fold on, you were still able to detect their presences quite easily through your haki that Saka-chan had you train._

_Ace sighed in exasperation. “Alright, fine, you can take it off now.” They should have known this to have been the outcome. They could never really hide something from you could they?_

_Slowly taking off the blindfold, you blinked in surprise when you realized that the room was quite dark. Looking around, Ace and Sabo stood at your sides, with Luffy at the front._

_“What’s going on? Why is it so dark-”_

_“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”_

Luffy grinned at the memory. Ah, those really were the good old days. Your birthday had to be the best day ever, especially when he got to feed you meat while his brothers had to watch in the corner because they almost destroyed the cake. The three of them used to fight for your attention all the time, and it was Luffy who won most of the time. 

“Ace… Sabo… I’ll protect Y/n no matter what,” he spoke aloud. 

“Hey you! Get down from there!” Luffy blinked, staring down from the platform to see a man holding a megaphone. 

“Why?” he yelled. 

“That’s a special execution platform under control of the World Government!” the man roared back furiously. “Come down right now!” 

Luffy smiled, cupping his hands together. “Well, you don’t have to be so strict, officer.” The officer was suddenly received a blow to the head, falling unconscious to the ground. The perpetrator was a beautiful woman with fair skin and long black silky hair. 

“I’ve been looking for you, Luffy. Long time no see…” Luffy raised a brow at the woman. Did he… did he know that woman? The lady laughed a bit. “Don’t tell me you forgot my face…” 

All around the lady were murmurs of how pretty she was. No, not pretty, but beautiful. Everything from the red of her lips to the texture of her skin. Meanwhile, Luffy is looking even more confused by the second. 

“I don’t know anyone like you. Who the heck are you?” 

"I'll never forget you... because you're the first man who hit me." 

Luffy gave her a confused look. "What? I hit you?" Immediately, there were choruses of murmurs of how Luffy supposedly hit a beautiful woman. The pirate captain began to sweat profusely at the onslaught of negative comments. 

She continued, rubbing her stomach (which was the area in which Luffy had punched her). "When your passionate fist hit me that time... Oh, it felt good..."

Luffy recoiled in disgust, a very uncomfortable look on his face. He definitely didn't know this woman. 

"You guys... what's the most beautiful thing in the East Blue?" she asked the people around her. 

"Y/n!" they all replied at the same time. 

"Yes, that'd be me,” she spoke, not even registering the fact that the crowd hadn’t said her name. The crowd knew that there was no one in the world who could compare to you, let alone such a creepy (yet beautiful) lady. “There's no man in this world that doesn't bow before my beauty. And I like strong men." 

Luffy was starting to feel beyond disturbed by the strange woman. "I'll make you mine, Luffy."

"Shut up! No way! I'm marrying Y/n! I don't even know you!" 

"You still haven't figured it out?!" she exclaimed in shock at his dumbness. "Wait- Y/n? WHO'S Y/n?!" All of a sudden, footsteps started approaching, and the woman turned to face the policemen behind her.

"This is the police! Hey, woman, come quietly! You're under arrest for harming the police captain!" The man then turned to Luffy. "And you over there! Get off the execution platform!" 

Feeling slightly irritated that her conversation had been cut off, the black haired woman spoke. "Who'd you say you'd arrest?"

"Y-You!" 

"Are you capable of that?" The three men gulped at the sight of her beauty. Before long, they were already under her spell. Too immersed in her beauty, they couldn’t do anything until the fountain exploded suddenly, snapping them out of their daze. 

"That was dangerous." She flipped her hair to the side, casting a glance at the hooded figures. 

"Flashily sorry, but your smooth skin is unharmed, of course, so don't worry... beautiful lady Alvida." 

Luffy furrowed his brows at the name. "I don't see Alvida." 

"I'm Alvida! You blockhead!" she yelled. "And what was that marrying this 'Y/n'?! You're engaged?!" 

"Really? But you don't look like Alvida at all. And what's this 'engaged'? Can you eat it?" 

"Ah, so you aren't engaged. Well I doubt this woman that you're talking about is as beautiful is me." Alvida flipped her hair to the side. 

Luffy made an upset face. You were so much prettier than her, and nicer too. "She's much more prettier than you," he spoke as if it were a fact. 

Alvida scowled. "I doubt it. Everyone agreed that I was the most beautiful creature of the sea." Actually, nobody said that, but sure, whatever floats your boat. 

"Well then Y/n's the most beautiful creature of the land!" Yes, that made sense in Luffy’s mind. Especially when you didn’t like the sea in the first place, so it made the most sense. 

Alvida chuckled as if that were the funniest thing she had ever heard. "Luffy, let's not get into pointless arguments. I came here because I joined forces with him, since we had the same goal- finding you." She gestured towards the cloaked men behind her, who tossed their cloaks into the sky, revealing a band of circus rejects. 

The clown adorning a pirate coat and hat laughed loudly. "Now, the ultimate star appears super flashily!" 

\--- 

“Kid, what do you think you’re doing?” Killer asked with crossed arms as the red-haired captain with no eyebrows was at the helm of the ship. 

“What do you think I’m doing?! I’m steering the ship!” Kid roared back. 

“We’re going the wrong way.” An angry expression overcame his face, as his hands gripped the wheel harder. 

“You don’t think I know that?! I’m steering the ship this way on purpose!” In one of Kid’s hands was a piece of paper, and Killer realized that it was your vivire card. Killer sighed, waving Kid off as he went to find Heat and Wire. 

Conveniently enough, the two of them were sitting on the deck, playing a game of cards. The two of them, noticing Killer, waved him over. 

“Killer, did you talk to Kid?” Heat asked, before sighing, already knowing that he did. “I can’t believe we’re actually turning around. Do you have a seven?” 

“It’s understandable,” Wire spoke as rearranging the cards in his hands. “Go fish. Especially when you consider the fact that he grew quite attached to her in a short amount of time. Do you have an Ace?” 

Heat huffed, sliding the card over. “It should have been obvious that she was the Child of the Gods from the start. I would have been surprised if she wasn’t.” 

Killer glanced back up at their captain who had a slightly agitated expression on his face. That was right. It had only been probably only a few days since they had uncovered a bit of truth, and that was one of the reasons why their captain was steering the ship around. 

One of the reasons. 

The main reason was a gut feeling that Kid had inside of him. As if something wasn’t right. It had started ever since you had left them, and now it was only growing stronger, only reaching its peak when he saw the wanted poster that fell out of the newspaper. 

Killer could tell a little of what Kid was thinking, but he couldn’t be too sure. 

“Do you want us to deal you in, Killer?” 

“Sure.” To be honest, even though it was rather upsetting that they were postponing their trip across the Grand Line, Killer was internally happy. Happy that he will get to see you _very_ soon. 

\---

Shanks dangled his feet over the edge of the mountain, inhaling the salty scent of the wind. His eyes were trained on the castle, with the moonlight illuminating the world around him. It was a full moon, and was around the time Sage had said he would show him something. 

This island was just so mysterious, and it was suffocating with power. The soil here on the island was rich and full of nutrients, and the plants grew tenfold. He remembered Roger telling the crew stories of an island of riches, an island of happiness. But was this island really the happiness he had spoken of? 

“Are you ready, Red-haired Shanks?” He looked back to see Sage smiling with his eyes closed. He hadn’t even sensed his presence. “The ceremony is about to begin. I’d say it would be quite exciting. You’re welcome to bring your friends along, I’m sure it would be quite a sight to behold.” 

“Ah, really?” Shanks laughed. “Thanks! It’s not some sort of sacrifice or something, right?” Sage shook his head, too filled with amusement. Snapping his fingers, a wolf (the same one that had given him the flowers earlier, Shanks recognized) hobbled up to the dragon, before bowing quickly, understanding his mission. 

“Not at all. In fact, I’d say it’s quite the opposite.” Sage passed the gold poneglyph and shrine, descending down the stone staircase with grace before turning his heel to a small path that diverged from the main one. “You don’t need to worry about finding your friends, I’ve sent some of the animals to go and fetch them.” 

“Ah, thank you. You’re quite generous.” Sage laughed, shaking his head as he continued walking down the pathway. 

The path, Shanks noted, was much more rugged than much of the city, being only a dirt pathway littered with overgrown bushes. His eyes wandered to Sage’s peaceful face, his footsteps near silent upon the forest ground. The plants around him bent away as he walked, as if they had minds of their own, creating a larger pathway for the two of them. 

It was such an interesting power, and it reminded him of you. 

Before long the two of them stumbled out into a small clearing of a small lake, with water filling it up by a waterfall coming straight from the inside of the mountain. The moon’s reflection could be seen upon the dark waters, and small lily pads littered the area. Near the edge of the water was a stone structure built into an arch, seemingly like a doorway of some sort. There were gems that coated the structure, and it glimmered as though there were specks of gold intertwined within. 

Shanks, feeling the presence of his men, looked back to see them emerging from the pathway he had exited himself. 

“Oi, Captain!” Yasopp called out. “Benny’s been worried about you! But it looks like you got everything under control now, eh?” 

“Hello, friends of Red-haired Shanks,” Sage greeted, having found himself situated by the stone archway. “You’re about to witness something not even the Great Pirate King himself had ever seen before.” 

_Something even Roger hasn’t seen before?_ They thought. 

The moon above seemed to glow even brighter at Sage’s words. 

“That’s right, something even Roger hasn’t seen before. You should all feel _very_ lucky that you came on a day with the perfect conditions. My my, the Gods really have felt pity on him.” A pink glow caught their attention, and they realized that the moon’s reflection in the water had turned pink.

The pink light hit the stone archway, and blasted lights of all colors; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink, ect. But the most prominent one was white. It was [blinding](https://preachthestory.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/blinding-light.jpg), it seared their eyes in pain, and they squinted to see what was happening. The archway had been lit up, and the wind around them had picked up to insane speeds, whipping madly at the trees, shaking them like a rattle. 

Through the light they could see a dark figure emerging from the portal. 

“Euphoria may be known for it’s happiness and richness, it’s beauty and home of the Ancient Ones…” Sage monologues, closing his eyes as he leaned against the arch way, one hand on his hip as he watched them stare into the light. “But there is one thing that isn’t quite as well known.” 

The tall dark figure was hunched over, swaying side to side like a zombie as it took a tentative step forwards, staggering slightly as if it's muscles were still getting used to being used. Shanks could slightly make out blonde hair as the thing dragged its other leg out of the portal, causing it the light to cease. 

“Euphoria is also known to be the bridge of worlds,” Sage spoke with a grin.

With that, the figure collapsed, passing out on the ground. 

“Oh.” Sage spoke, his face with mock disappointment. “Well, not everybody is used to the sudden change in atmosphere. Poor guy, he looks as though he were about to barf.” 

It was then that the four members of the Red-haired pirates realized that the thing was not in fact ‘a thing’, but a human being, struggling to breath. The man on his knees let out a shuddering breath, his eyes wide open as he scanned his surroundings. 

Where was he? 

He struggled to stand up, legs shaking like a baby deer on it’s first legs, but soon he gained his bearings, scanning the people around him. There were four people in front of him, all who seemed to be strong. He turned around to look behind him. 

There was also some weird grinning white haired man with gold glowing eyes. There were thick dark green horns on the sides of his head, and he wore no shirt, and the teeth that he had looked too sharp to be human. A scaly tail swished behind where his tailbone should be, and large wings were tucked together on his back.

That man eerily reminded him of the dragons he had seen in his picture book as a kid.

No, wait, he shouldn’t be thinking of his childhood. Where was he? Last time he remembered he was talking to that weird guy with purple-blue hair and stars in his eyes. He remembered saying something that made the man laugh, before he shoved him into the room. 

So where was he now? This certainly wasn’t an empty room, it looked like a forest with a bunch of weirdos. Granted, the people he knew were weirdos, but this dragon dude had to be taking it to a whole new different level. 

“W-Where am I?” Not answering his question, Sage laughed, clapping like a mad man. Taking long strides up to the taller man, he laughed, slapping his back. The man had to be almost ten feet tall in height, quite a shockingly tall height for a human. 

“I’m surprised that **he** actually let someone out, especially _you_ , young man. Welcome to Euphoria, the land that’s been dead for over 800 years.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: 
> 
> I wonder who the guy is. Chapter was like 23 pages long. They're getting longer by the week. XD


	24. Finally Out of Loguetown

**Chapter Seventeen: Finally Out of Loguetown**

* * *

“Explain.” Sage’s eyes flickered up from the book that he was reading. The Red-haired pirates along with himself were currently inside the abandoned castle, watching over the man who had appeared last night. Sage rested his right hand on his cheek, amusement dancing in his eyes as he watched the yonko. 

“What is there to explain when I already told you everything?” he asked with a smile. Shanks sighed, sitting down on a chair beside the mysterious man’s sleeping body on the bed. 

“Who is he? What did you mean that Euphoria is known as the bridge worlds?” Sage snapped his book shut with a sigh, placing it over on the table beside him. 

“Red-haired Shanks, you’re pretty intelligent. I’m sure you can figure things out yourself.” Standing up, the dragon rolled his shoulders, making his way towards the man on the bed. Brushing past Shanks, Sage placed a hand over the sleeping man’s forehead. 

_No fever… that’s good._

“Are you implying that that structure was a gateway, Sage?” The dragon didn’t respond, shuffling through the bedside table, searching for something. 

“Have you ever wondered what persists after death?” he spoke, pulling out a small pocket knife. It had strange symbols engraved on the side that seemed to glow. Sage twirled it in his hands nimbly, a soft smile on his lips. “I’m sure you humans do. How about this, I’ll let you in on a little secret.” 

Shanks listened intently as Sage leaned into his ear, whispering, his next words carefully. 

“Death has been speculated to be a period eternal of nothingness, but that theory is simply too far from the truth.” Leaning back, Sage suddenly stabbed Shanks in the shoulder. Eyes widening at how fast that movement was, Shanks jumped away, his left arm clutching his wound on his right shoulder. 

He didn’t even sense that coming!

Clutching his wound tighter, Shanks knew it should hurt but...

“Relax, you aren’t going to die. I’m sure you can already tell that your wound doesn’t hurt.” Pulling a handkerchief out of nowhere, Sage cleaned his blade before setting it back down on the nightstand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to be out of nowhere, but I’m trying to prove a point. Why don’t you take a look at that wound?” 

Looking down, Shanks realized that there was no longer blood on his shirt. His wound… it was gone. 

“I suppose I should explain a few things… ugh, how annoying,” Sage grumbled a little under his breath. 

“Ever since the last Ancient One had died along with everyone else on this island over 800 years ago, this place has been blessed with eternal life.” Sage shook his head, sinking onto the bed. “Rather ironic isn’t it? I know that you deduced what had transpired here centuries ago. You are quite observant. That, and the bloodstains are rather prominent. This place doesn’t get much rain after all.” 

“Haha, thanks. But you didn’t have to stab me to do that, did you?” Shanks laughed. “I bet you just wanted an excuse to stab me.” 

“Hmmm maybe.” Sage gave Shanks a mischievous grin, before turning his attention back to the large ass man on the bed, leaving unanswered questions in the air. The blond stirred, opening his eyes blearily. 

The light was bright in his eyes, and he squinted to see what was happening around him. When his eyes adjusted, he realized that he was in a bed that was located in a room with two of the weirdos from last night. Was it even last night? How long had he slept for? 

“You’ve been asleep for 8 hours, 55 minutes, and 6 secs in counting,” Sage spoke, golden eyes trained on him. 

Sitting up, he could feel his back ache slightly, but his nausea and pains had ceased. 

“I-I… what happened?” 

“You’re back from the realm of the gods and have returned, what else do you think happened?” He rubbed his eyes, shaking slightly, causing Sage to sigh. “That idiot Lunaris. I bet Mortalitus didn’t even bother to remind him about the safety tips before sending you here. Humans are fragile after all.” 

Lunaris? Moralitus? What was this dragon hybrid thing saying? He knew those strange men? 

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore, does it? Now then, care to let us know what your name is? Especially when you’ll be in my care for the time being?”

“...Rosinante,” he spoke, his eyes watching Shanks. Shanks watched Rosinate with furrowed brows. Why did he look a little familiar? When he noticed Rosinate watching him, he realized that he, too, should probably introduce himself. He stretched out his hand for the larger man to take. 

“Shanks. It’s nice to meet you Rosinante.” Rosinante grabbed Shanks’ hand in a tight grip, feeling his strength steadily return to him. 

“Likewise.” 

_Shanks?_ Why did that name feel so familiar to him? Where had he heard that name before? Regardless, the man before Rosinate seemed to be a good man. He wasn’t so sure about the other man, but Shanks was definitely a respectable person. 

Sage nodded at the exchange, glad that he didn’t have to introduce them themselves. Too much work and he already had enough on his plate as is. 

“Well then, _Rosinante_ , now that you’re awake, I can now properly tell the two of you a few things about Euphoria. Have you heard of the legend, Rosinante?” The man nodded his head in response. 

“Good, this will make it much simpler. Now then, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sage, temporary guardian of Euphoria, or more specifically, the gateway. Euphoria hasn’t only been a land of happiness, but the bridge of worlds. This very land that you step on connects to the realms throughout our intertwined worlds. You,” he jabbed Rosinante in the chest, “Just came out of one of those realms through our portal.”

 _So it_ _was_ _a gateway?_ Shanks thought. How was that possible? Were there really worlds far beyond the one they lived in? 

“You remember what I said earlier, right, Red-haired Shanks? That death is a period of eternal nothingness? Well, what happens after death is that the soul transitions to the next realm automatically, bringing you to the realm of the dead, or the ‘Spirit World’. It is governed and watched over by the gods, so it can also be considered as the Celestial realm.” 

_Gods..?!_

“I’m sure you met a few of them, isn’t that right, Rosinante?” The image of a man with almost the same height as him, with long raven black locks and midnight blue streaks, came into mind. That irritated expression that was always on his face, and his constant yelling, it brought him such headaches. 

_“Oi, Lunaris, look what I brought,”_ he remembered the man saying as he was pushed into the same room. His eyes connected to violet ones as he looked up, gazing at a very god like figure. Flawless sunkissed skin, calculating eyes, and long ombre blue and violet hair like canvas that was speckled with white. 

His violet eyes scrutinized Rosinate’s very figure, examining him thoroughly as if there were some sort of disease on him that he had yet to find. 

_“Donquixote Rosinante, quite a curious individual aren’t you? You’ve been chosen by the council to be granted a… redemption. Consider yourself lucky. Or not, you can take it either way.”_ The man Rosinante could only assume as ‘Lunaris’ chuckled a bit. 

_“He means we just pity you and we want to screw with your original realm,”_ the man who had brought him here had spoken up. _“Oi, Lunaris, hurry up and do your job or else Sage is going to be pissy with us again.”_

_“Mortalitus, last time we sent someone over was centuries ago, I’m sure Sage wouldn’t mind waiting a bit longer.”_

What the fuck was happening? Rosinate looked back and forth between the two, very confused at what was happening. Why was he suddenly here instead of back with his family? 

Mortalitus’ brow furrowed, and a furious expression overcame his face.

 _“Here we go again,”_ Lunaris mumbled. 

_“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN HE CAN WAIT A BIT LONGER?! DO YOU REMEMBER ALL THE TROUBLE HE CAUSED US BECAUSE HE HAD AARTH AND THE OTHERS ON HIS SIDE?! DO YOU KNOW HOW HUMILIATING IT IS TO BE REPRIMANDED BY A CHILD?!”_

_“She’s not a child, she’s a teen.”_

_“SHE IS A CHILD COMPARED TO US CELESTIAL BEINGS! AND THAT’S RIGHT, SHE’S ONLY HERE BECAUSE YOU DROPPED THE RELIC YOU SHIT OF A GOD! YOU KNOW WHAT, I’M LEAVING! TAKE THE FUCKING GUY AND GO! SCREW YOU! THIS WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!”_

Ah, he definitely wasn’t very pleasant, very short tempered he remembered. 

“By your expression I can tell that you met Mortalitus.” Sage sighed. “This would have gone much smoother if it had been Flare, but I suppose it is fate.” His tail wiggled a little behind him. “Ah, right, speaking of fate, that reminds me of your own situation, Red-haired Shanks.”

“My fate?” 

“I’m sure you already realized who your precious Y/n is, do you not? You came to this island because you were searching for ways to change her fate, weren’t you, Red-haired Shanks?” 

\---

“Achoo!” you sneezed, snuggling further underneath the crimson feathers of Phoenix. Phoenix cawed a little, heating himself up slightly to keep you warmer. Your hands gripped his feathers tightly as you stared into the dark clouds, riding on the back of a gigantic Phoenix (you trusted Phoenix more than Doffy, who dropped you on purpose that one time). 

Phoenix thought that it would be nice if the two of you had a small flight together, before setting off for the Grand Line that is. You had found his suggestion very endearing, since he wasn’t very fond of the idea of being a horse most of the time. He really was a curious old bird. 

“Azar?” He paused, feeling his heart stop as he tilted his head back to stare at your serene expression. “You know I love you right?” 

_“You know I love you right?”_

_“I hope you remember what happens to you when you open yourself up like that,”_ his voice flooded into your mind, causing you to crack a small smile. _“You know I hate the weak.”_

“Haha.. sorry. But I know you love me too.” His eyes watched you for a second, chuckling a bit, before he turned his attention back to his surroundings. 

Azar… It’s been a while since you called him by his name. How nostalgic. You truly were such a curious little child, weren’t you? His eyes widened when he remembered something. 

You yawned, unaware, of the internal screaming that was going on inside Azar’s head. 

A commotion from below you to jolt, tumbling off the back of your fire bird and down into the town below. A scream escaped your throat as you plummeted to your doom. You were probably, what, a couple _hundred_ feet off the ground? 

Waving your hands frantically, you attempted to harness the wind to break your fall, but it wasn't working. Damn bracelets. Above you, Phoenix was attempting to torpedo down towards you when he suddenly burst into flames. 

_Oh, I forgot today was his death day. Wait-_

"I’m going to die!" you cried. “Well, I suppose I should make use of my last moments.” Pulling out a tea cup, you poured some tea inside the porcelain, cup, before taking a long sip, almost forgetting why you were screaming in the first place. 

Until you spat the tea back out when you realized that you were falling still. 

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” The tea cup slipped from your hands as you plummeted further to your doom. “Why am I so dumb?! How could I not remember it was his death day?” 

How could _he_ not have remembered it was his death day?!

The ground was getting closer and you tightly shut your eyes, bracing for impact. You were going to be a nice Y/n-pancake. But the impact never came. Instead, a pair of arms caught you. Looking up, a clown looking pirate with a large red nose stared at you with wide eyes, looking equally shook.

"HOW DID YOU FALL OUT OF THE SKY?!" the clown pirate screamed. 

"I got scared..." you mumbled out. “How did you catch me?” Yeah, you were pretty sure you were falling at an incredible speed from hundreds of feet up above. Obviously the impact would have broken the clown’s bones. 

Little did you know that you had been over exaggerating your fall and it was only 50ft in the air, and that you, in fact, was not falling at an incredible speed, but a speed of 3 miles per hour. Heck, you weren’t even falling, you were just floating down before landing on Buggy. 

Buggy is currently staring at you incredulously, with “what the fuck” screaming in his mind. 

Luffy craned his head up at the sound of your voice, but it was a bit of a struggle, with the position he was in. Despite that, he knew it was you. It had to be you. But did you really fall out of the sky? What were you even doing up there in the first place? You hated heights! 

"Y/n! Are you okay?!" You looked down, seeing Luffy in a wooden shackle. 

"Luffy? What’s happening?" 

"Wait, you two know each other?!" Buggy's eyes bulged out of his eye sockets. This idiot knew such a beautiful woman like you? Wait a second, weren’t you that girl he saved from before? Oh shit, did he save an enemy?! And wait, Y/n? That name sounded awfully familiar. 

"You're the woman that he said he was going to marry?!" Alvida shouted from below, causing Buggy to nearly have a heart attack. Oh crap, that’s why that name sounded so familiar! 

"Wait- he said that?! Luffy! I thought we talked about this! I'm not marrying anyone yet!" you spoke, moving a bit before freezing, realizing you weren’t on solid grown just yet. In fact, you were well off the ground on a platform. An execution platform to be exact. 

You felt the hold around you tighten, and you nearly forgot that you were in the pirate clown's hold. You remembered him. Well, not his face, but his voice. You knew for a fact that he was the one who saved you from that strange woman earlier. Buggy, he said his name was. 

Buggy’s eyes gazed into your own with an unfamiliar emotion, and he opened his mouth. "So you're single?" 

"Uh... What?" Ah, dumb and oblivious like Monkey. It was okay, he could make do with that. 

"Do you want to marry me?" he whispered to your ear.

_Why does everyone want to marry me?????_

"Oi! You can't do that! Y/n's my first mate!" Luffy shouted, trying to free himself from his shackles. He couldn't let you get taken away! He just couldn't! It would mean breaking the promise he made to your Master!

"First Mate?! This beautiful woman is your First Mate?!" Buggy once again screamed in your ear. "But she looks so-"

"Weak? I know, everybody says that." You sighed, leaning against the man, causing him to blush. 

"I'm going to make you my mine, after I kill your captain." 

You jolted, looking up at the clown. "W-What?" 

"You're going to kill him?" You gave him a confused face, eyes flashing gold: a vision. "He's not going to die. Once you try to slice his head off, lightning is going to strike the tower. I'd get away if I were you." You blinked when he tied rope around your wrists, before eventually gagging you with some cloth he pulled out of nowhere.

You probably could have avoided that. 

"Ha! As if I'd fall for your tricks. Try a little flashily next time, sweetheart!" Buggy took a look at his work, before immediately looking away. The view of a woman like you tied up was kinky. Just too sinful with those innocent eyes watching his every movement. 

Picking you up bridal style, he chucked you off the execution platform, and you let out a muffled scream as you once again, plummeted to your doom. Hands wrapped around you, and you looked up to see a man with dark green hair, parted over his left eye. He pulled out your gag with a sigh. 

"Thank you. Can you put me down please?" His eyes gazed into your face before he walked off, with you still in his arms. "W-Wait, please put me down!" 

"Sorry princess, Captain's orders." 

"Wait- that man's your captain?" 

Before you could get a reply, you heard a voice- Luffy's voice -yelling the words, "I'm the man who's going to be the King of the Pirates!" His words echoed throughout Loguetown and you laid limp in his arms. It was going to be fine. You had faith in the fates. 

Little did you know the people who controlled the fates were currently having a party.

"Stop the execution!" Two male voices shouted, and you perked up. They sounded like Zoro and Sanji! 

"Shame on you! There's a limit to how much you can fool around, Luffy." Zoro spoke.

"If you're starting a sideshow, let me join you." You grinned. That was Sanji! "What we have to do for now is drive those damn pirates away?" His eyes flickered through the crowd, before landing on you. Sanji parted his mouth in shock. 

You…

Weren’t you supposed to be with Nami?! What happened? Why were you in another man’s arms?! How dare he touch you!! Sanji let out a growl before he paused, his face beginning to burn a bright red when he saw the gag in your mouth. And there were ropes wrapped around your wrists…

How dare he. Who was dared to do that to a woman- _his_ goddess at that! 

“HANDS OFF MY GODDESS YOU BASTARD!” Sanji yelled from his spot, a murderous aura surrounding him as a furious expression formed on his face. It took a moment for it to click into Zoro’s mind that it was you that Sanji was referring to as ‘Goddess’. 

When he did, he couldn’t help but quickly turn his head, eyes scanning the area for you. 

"What? Y/n? Where?" Eventually, Zoro's gaze traveled to where Sanji was looking at, and he felt something stir inside of him. You were there: in Cabji's arms. All of a sudden a feeling of hate and envy dominated both men as they realized what was happening. First mate shall not be manhandled, and especially not be treated as such! 

"Pirate Hunter Zoro, I'm afraid you're too late!" Buggy cackled, about to bring his sword down. The two raced forwards, before a voice called out to them.

"Stop. Save your strength. It's going to be fine." The duo stared at you in disbelief at how calm you were being. "Trust me." 

"Zoro. Sanji. Usopp. Nami.” Luffy called out with a smile. 

"Luffy," You spoke, breaking your bonds in a single swift movement, and jumping from Cabaji, to his shock. You flipped into the air, landing perfectly on the ground, your dress flowing in the wind. Your eyes met, and you smiled sweetly. The entire place was quiet as the two of you stared at each other. 

Smoker's eyes widened as he caught sight of you in the distance. 

_"So that's your captain."_

You weren't going to die, Smoker knew that very well. His true love was strong. Physically. He wasn’t very sure about the mental part, especially when all you seemed to care about was friendship and rainbows. 

Meanwhile, the Marines who were aiming their firearms at the plaza stood in shock. They recognized you as the person who hung out with Smoker, and from the wanted poster worth 500 million berries. Not only that, they recognized that it was _you_. 

“Y/N-CHAN!,” they all yelled, dropping their weapons as they cried in the plaza. Oh innocent one with a beautiful heart, why is fate so cruel as to make you a pirate? 

Luffy’s eyes met your own, a million thoughts racing through his head, but one thought stood out in particular, and it made him smile. 

"Y/n." the straw hat wearing boy shouted. "I trust you." He grinned. 

As Buggy brought down his sword, he couldn't help but think back to your words.

_"He's not going to die. Once you try to slice his head off, lightning is going to strike the tower. I'd get away if I were you."_

A sinking feeling was piling at the bottom of his stomach, and he felt the electricity surging, his hair standing on end. He wanted to pull back, but he was too far into his action. As lightning struck him, he could only wonder if you were some sort of angel, who was trying to warn him about this event. A beautiful angel that he had saved from getting killed that same day. 

Strawhat sure was lucky to have you on his crew. 

\---

_Roughly an hour ago..._

“See Nii-san?” Brulee spoke as she sat down on the ground with Katakuri. Nii-sans she should say as her other brothers (+ one sister) was also present in the Mirrorworld. Oven, Daifuku, Smoothie, and Cracker were currently peering through the mirror intensely, watching you interact with some orange haired chick. “Y/n is safe, no harm has come to her.” 

“Who the hell is that orange haired chick?” Cracker grumbled, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t like her.” There was something unsettling about Nami that made Cracker squirm a bit. She looked to be the type of devil woman who would pour water all over his beautiful creations and make them all soggy and have him watch a monster eat them all. 

“You don’t like anyone, Cracker,” Oven grumbled, narrowing his eyes as you smiled as you happily chatted away with the woman. “But I don’t like her either.” He especially narrowed his eyes when the waiter’s hand lingered far too long on your own. 

“Let’s screw him over,” Daifuku spoke as his eyes were also on the waiter. “Torture him before killing him. Make him pay for thinking he could have a chance at our wife.” The three men and Smoothie nodded their heads in unison. 

_You’re not married yet…_ Perospero sweatdropped from the side. He never really had a problem with his siblings, but seriously, this was getting out of hand. His siblings were all delusional. 

Perospero watched as the waiter kept glancing over at you, and he couldn’t help but feel increasingly irritated as well. You know what, screw him. His siblings could do whatever they wanted with him and he wouldn’t give a shit. How dare he creepily stare at Fairy-chan? 

Granted, his siblings were doing the same thing, but whatever. They were his siblings. 

Brulee felt Katakuri twitch slightly beside her, and when she looked up she could see frustration in his eyes. She placed a hand on his thigh to calm him. 

“Y/n will be fine, Nii- _san_. If anything happens the family will take care of it, remember?” she spoke softly, her eyes on Daifuku and Oven arguing with Cracker about how they should go about torturing the waiter as Smoothie was glaring daggers at the man. 

Before long, she knew they were going to ask her to open up the mirror for them. Brulee bet that they would ask as soon as you left the cafe. 

“You know me too well, Brulee,” Katakuri said. “But I cannot help but worry when there will always be people who may attempt to harm her. I must be ready when that happens.” Yes, Katakuri had to be there when you needed help. He would gladly skip merienda for you if it meant being the handsome knight in shining armor of your dreams. 

Not that you ever dreamt of one, but still, he would gladly do so just for you. 

“Oh hey, she’s leaving,” Cracker spoke, his eyes following your backside as you left with that orange haired-girl. “Oi, Brulee, open up the mirror.” 

A little _someone_ was going to show up in the newspaper tomorrow. 

\---

“Feed my pets,” Crocodile spoke, exhaling the putrid smoke from his lips that the cigar in his mouth was immiting. The man nodded his head brightly. Working for _the_ Crocodile, the one who owned the expensive casino, was a dream come true! Even if he did have to feed the man’s questionable… pets. 

They were Banana Gators, quite large ones at that. There were probably ten of them in the tank, maybe a little less than that, but they had large appetites. One of such, was meat. Whether it was human meat or not, the man would never know. 

“Y-Yes, sir!” Walking out of the room, the man went to fetch the buckets of meat, getting ready to throw them into the tanks. Crocodile watched him leave, before immediately pulling out the nice photos he bought from Garp this time. 

His mouth twitched into a small smile when he saw those bright cheerie eyes in a nice sun-dress. You seemed to be sitting at a cafe, eating some sweets. Akainu was in the background, looking as though he was turning when he heard the sound of his name, and was unaware of the photo being taken until the last moment. He could tell by the man’s expression turning furious. 

The best part of the photo may have been you, but what could have been a close second was the fact that Akainu was wearing a bright hot pink bow on his head. Quite a bold fashion statement if Crocodile had to say so himself. 

Garp really did sell him the best photos. 

Good thing he got this before Hancock could. He wondered if he could use this as blackmail material against the Admiral. He probably could, especially with him constantly saying ‘stop being a disgrace’ or something of the sort. 

The other photo that he snagged was the one that Bartolmew Kuma was trying to snag off the table. It was a cute little photo of you on a beach on an island with a bunch of animals surrounding you and giving you all the love and affection that you deserved. 

There was a panda, a gecko on your head, a snake around your shoulders, a hawk on your arm, a giant shark poking its head out in the sea, a flamingo on top of a crocodile- 

Wait, was that supposed to represent them shichibukai? 

Oh dear it was. Wait a second, why is it that the flamingo is on top of the crocodile?! The flamingo should be inside the crocodile’s mouth if anything! No! He will not be a stepping stool for that pink bastard! Never!

“Oh, Mr. 0. You’re back so soon?” Crocodile immediately stuffed the photos inside his coat as Robin hovered over his shoulder. His head turned to face her, and he could see the amusement in her eyes. 

“What _ever_ could you be hiding in your coat that is making your cheeks all red?” Damn it, Crocodile bet that Robin already knew what he was hiding in his coat. How dare she be so perceptive? “More photos of Y/n?” 

“..Yes,” Crocodile huffed. Wait more? He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as she let out a small laugh. Did she…? “Did you go through my stuff again?” Robin’s eyes glimmered in amusement. 

“You sure do have a bunch of photos of Y/n. Makes me wonder as to why exactly you do.” Robin gazed up at the ceiling in mock thought. “You _obviously_ don’t love her, so what’s the point of having photos of her?” 

Crocodile furrowed his brows, a menacing glare forming on his face as he stared Miss All Sunday down. 

“Shut up. They’re mine. And if _I_ find you going through _my_ stuff _again_ , I will make sure that you suffer, Nico Robin.” Robin merely laughed a little. 

“That is, if you want Y/n to find out.” 

“...screw you.” 

Damn it. He hated it when Robin was right. 

\---

The first time Drake had met you had been twelve years ago. 

But even then, he had known of your existence long before the two of you had officially met. You were almost one when he had first seen a glimpse of your face; a big smile absolutely filled with happiness. The exact same smile that you always wore. 

He was always curious about you; about what a child like you was doing in Marineford, and why exactly did you show up the way you did. He heard the rumors- the rumors that Garp had found you in the middle of a storm, with the waves crashing violently against the island, but it was only until a couple months later that he actually got to see you. 

Garp and Sengoku had seemed extremely over protective of you, not even letting the Admirals come near you at first. It was something that got the gears in his head turning, and making him even more curious than he was before. He probably would have made his presence known to you much sooner, but he didn’t. He was far too hesitant. So as a result of his stupidity, he was left to watch you from afar for four years. 

Throughout those four years, he probably learned more about you then you even knew about your child self. The way your eyes would light up whenever you saw the Admirals, or just anything that you thought was cool and loved, or the way you pouted a little, whenever something didn’t go your way. And despite it never going your way, you never really seemed to complain. 

Well, sometimes you manipulated your guardians to get what you wanted, but they practically gave you everything you ever wanted anyways. 

He always thought you were a little stupid for a child. Especially when he sat by the docks, watching you work up the confidence to at least try to step foot near the water. You could never make it past it though, always screaming and chickening out in the end. Still though, you kept coming back. 

You were either very stupid or very determined. 

But Drake supposed he could see where you were coming from. He was sure that you wanted to make Akainu proud that you weren’t scared of the sea anymore, and that in itself was quite brave of you. 

He had to admit though he was wrong about one part of you: you weren’t exactly stupid. You were just naive and just too trusting of others. You let them walk all over you, and he found that very annoying. Not you of course, but everyone else who used your kindness to their own advantage. Hell, a bunch of them were _way_ older than you and used you, but he supposed that the people themselves weren’t very aware of what they were doing. 

Still though, it wasn’t right to use a child like that, but he knew that if he spoke up you would kindly say that he was wrong and that you were doing it out of the goodness of your heart. 

You were naive, so he had to help you. 

It started off simple: telling others off about abusing your kindness, until it became intimidating and giving cold glares whenever someone would go over and speak to you. Personally, Drake just didn’t really like having other people talk to you, but he did it for good reason. He had to look out for you; it just felt like his job- his role. 

He actually thought that eventually somebody would take notice of his behavior, especially when Garp had called him into his office. Oh god he was so scared, but it turns out that Garp actually wanted him to try and befriend you, especially since almost everyone else was 5 times your age, and he was one of the few younger ones within Marine Ford. 

To say he was happy was an understatement. He was ecstatic when Garp had told him his ‘mission’, since he was worried about your mental health with the lack of social interaction. He had kept his stoic facade on, nodding only in response. He may have come off as unwilling to Garp, but he was definitely the opposite of unwilling. 

He just didn’t know how he should be going about to approach you. What if you didn’t like him? What if you found out about his father and you decided you didn’t want to be friends with someone like him?

Lucky for him, he didn’t need to think about how to approach you because you approached him first. 

It was sometime in the middle of spring on a sunny afternoon (a few days after Garp had spoken to him) when he watched as you walked out of Marine Ford with a few plates of food in your hands. He, like always, discreetly watched as you headed his way. Internally, his mouth watered at the sight of his favorite foods: Chicken and Rice. 

He shook his head a little bit. Even though you were coming towards him, it didn’t mean that you were going to just come up to him and ask if he wanted to eat lunch with you. Ah, just the thought of doing something like that made his face all red and his body all hot. To share a meal with someone, someone like you- It was ridiculous and wishful thinking.

Except when you paused in front of him, watching as the sweat dripped down his body as he trained, he realized that his wishful thinking might not be so wishful after all. 

“Um… Hello!” you spoke nervously, craning your head slightly to look up at the older boy (Just pretend he’s like, 10 or something). “Do… Do you want to have lunch with me? I bet you’re tired!”

He couldn't help but melt at your thoughtfulness, and at the fact that you actually wanted to eat with him. This had to be a first. Someone actually _wanted_ to hang out with him? Someone like _him_? 

“Y-You don’t have to!” you rushed. “I just see that you seem a little lonely. Kinda like me!” You laughed a little before quieting down. “Oh. I guess that’s not really funny is it?” 

He shook his head a little, cracking a small smile at the five year-old you. 

“Sure. Let’s have lunch together.” 

He didn’t know when he fell in love with you. For all he knew, he could have fallen in love with you the first time he saw you, or the day that you decided that you wanted to get to know him, taking initiative rather than himself. But he did know one thing.

He loved you, and that was all that mattered to him. If he could just protect you from this cruel and sinful world, he would be content with his life. Well, as long as he got to have you too, that is. 

\---

You thought that it would be a little easier now that the gang was all together (Luffy survived the ‘execution’ miraculously), and that all was fine and dandy. 

But this seriously wasn’t what you thought getting back to the Merry would look like. 

“AHHHHHHH IT’S Y/N- _SAMA_!” 

“RUN FOR YOUR WEAK HEARTS! DON’T SHOW WEAKNESS MEN!” 

“I-I CAN’T! JUST SEEING HER IS MAKING MY EYES BLURRY!” 

“YOU IDIOT! YOU MEAN YOU HAVE SAND IN YOUR EYES!” Smoker slapped a hand to his forehead as he watched his men all cry as Zoro had you in his arms like a doll, thrusting you outwards Simba style to show all the marines. It took Zoro a bit to realize what they were all wailing about, but when he did, he grabbed you from Sanji’s arms (yes, you were in his arms bridal style as he ran through the rain), and showed you off to the world with an evil grin. 

Zoro truly was a despicable pirate, that was for sure. 

“DAMN YOU RORONOA ZORO! YOU WON’T GET AWAY WITH THIS!” the marines all hollered as he ran by, their vision blurred with tears as they stumbled through the rain. 

“You idiots…” Smoker sighed, briefly locking eyes with you. His gut twisted inside painfully as he watched you get manhandled like a weapon of destruction. Well, you were certainly destroying his men’s will. 

“RUN RUN RUN RUN!!!” Luffy laughed as he sprinted past Zoro and you. “ISN’T THIS FUN Y/N?!” he laughed. 

You sipped on your tea delicately, the porcelain cup in one hand and a small plate in the other. You giggled a bit. 

“Very fun indeed, Luffy!” you laughed. “Oh well, except the part where I’m making everyone cry. I feel bad about that…” You let out a sigh. “I’m such a horrible person.” 

“Y/n- _hime_!! Don’t say that about yourself!” Sanji scolded. “You’re the most purest and beautifulest angel in the world! You’re anything _but_ a bad person! If anyone was a bad person, it would be this _moss head_ over here.” Zoro rolled his eyes at Sanji, looking back to survey the marines chasing them half-heartedly. His hands tightened slightly around your body. 

“Persistent bastards…” he grumbled. Sanji squinted his eyes a bit as he saw a person in the distance. No, not a person. A _lady_. 

“A LADY!” Sanji yelled, swooning slightly, before looking over at you. “DON’T WORRY MY GODDESS I LOVE YOU TOO!! I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYONE!!” 

“OI SHUT UP YOU PERVERTED CHEF! DON’T TALK TO OUR FIRST MATE THAT WAY!” 

“YEAH SANJI!” Luffy chimed in. “AND Y/N KNOWS I LOVE HER MORE THAN YOU!” He turned to you with a big grin. “Right Y/n?”

“OI!” Sanji yelled, completely forgetting about Tashigi who was standing in the rain. But Zoro didn’t. He paused slightly in his steps, hands setting you down as he felt like he knew what was coming next. 

“I didn’t know you were Roronoa Zoro, as well as a pirate..” Tashigi began. It all made sense to her now. Of course you would know Roronoa Zoro because you were on the same crew! She remembered Zoro mentioning that you were the first mate, but seriously, why couldn’t you have told her? 

She understood that you didn’t want the two of them to fight, but… Honestly, you were too soft hearted to be a pirate, _or_ a marine. 

“You lied to me.” It was now that Sanji realized that Tashigi was still there. 

“WHAT?! WHAT’D YOU DO TO HER?!” he yelled, grabbing your arm so that he could envelop you in a hug. “You better didn’t do anything to my goddess either or you’re dead!” Pushing Sanji’s face aside, Zoro walked forwards. 

“You just didn’t ask for my name. I didn’t lie to you.” 

“A rogue like you can’t be allowed to hold that sword! I’ll collect it from you!” Tashigi declared, sparing you a glance. She furrowed her brows a bit as she watched Sanji and Luffy argue, with Sanji’s hands covering your ears as he swore a string of choice words at him. 

You didn’t look fazed as you stared into your tea cup, letting the rain mix with the tea. 

Really, there was no point of Sanji covering up your ears when he was yelling at the top of his lungs. Besides, you kind of recognized some of them, having lived with Akainu for a few years. Things like that do that to you. 

Sanji’s eyes flickered over to Zoro for a few moments, seeing that he suddenly engaged in combat with Tashigi. He furrowed his brows. 

“How dare you fight a lady!!” he yelled. 

“Please don’t interfere!” Tashigi spoke. “This is a fight between me and Roronoa.” Zoro huffed a bit, glancing back at your distant gaze as you stared into your cup. Just what exactly was going on inside your head? Turning back to Tashigi, he put his focus on her. 

“Captain, go on ahead,” Zoro said. He felt that you were going to be a bit of trouble when they got to the docks. The sooner you got there, the better. Luffy nodded his head, grinning when he looked at you in the corner of his eye. 

You didn’t react as hands wrapped around your waist, pulling you to Luffy. You did frown when you dropped your cup, but it was replaced with a smile. Cups were replaceable after all, friends were not. 

“LET’S GO!!” he yelled, running down the streets with you in his arms. 

“Bye Shigi- _chan_! Until we meet again in Alabasta!” Tashigi whipped her head in your direction, questioning what it was that you meant by that before she yellped a bit when Zoro put a little more force to his swing. 

“Focus on me, and not them.” 

“I see the harbor ahead! We’re almost there!” Luffy yelled as you held onto him a little tighter. Feeling you tense up a little, he didn’t hesitate to put his straw hat on your head. “Don’t worry Y/n. I promise that nothing will happen to you,” he spoke softly, patting you on the back a little. “If something does happen, I’ll just have to save you. Shishishishi!” 

You nodded your head a bit, resting it on his shoulder. 

“Uh, who’s that?” Sanji asked, raising his brows as he caught a glimpse of a figure ahead. Curious, you lifted your head to look in the front, and you widen your eyes a bit when you saw Smoker. 

“Smokey?” 

“You’re finally here. Strawhat Luffy.” His blue eyes flickered to you being held by Luffy, and it caused him to remember the times when you would do that to him. He had to admit, he was feeling like he was being replaced. It made him feel a little jealous inside. “Didn’t I tell you that you can’t enter the Grand Line unless you beat me?” 

Luffy grinned. “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” 

“You’re such an airhead.” Sanji looked at Smoker and Luffy, and then lastly to you who was still in his Captain’s arms. 

“Sanji. Take Y/n and go on ahead. I’ll be right there.” You felt yourself being gently placed back into Sanji’s arms, him adjusting you slightly so that you’d be more comfortable. All while this was happening you couldn’t help but wonder, 

Why couldn’t you just run yourself? They didn’t have to take turns carrying you, did they? 

Sanji, looking behind his back to make sure that he was wearing your backpack (quite a fashion statement if I may add), he sprinted off past Smoker. Smoker clenched his teeth over his cigar, sending his Smoke out, before hesitating to grab you. That bit of hesitation was far too long, and gave enough time for Luffy to launch at him, directing his focus away from you. 

“Bye bye Smokey!” you yelled as Sanji dashed off with you in his arms. Smoker let out a frustrated huff, furrowing his brows his his stupid decisions. He.. He actually let you escape.

Damn it, him and his stupid heart. He should have known this would happen. 

“Y/n- _hime_ , don’t call out to the enemy!” Sanji spoke in a hurried tone. You looked up at him with a pout. 

“He’s not an enemy, he’s- uh...” You quickly stopped yourself from saying ‘he’s my friend.’ Smokey didn’t want anyone to know that the two of you were friends, so you couldn’t say that. So what could you say? “Uh… he’s definitely not my friend.” 

Sanji gave you a ‘really’ look. Even though you were his perfect goddess, it seemed that your lying skills will be on par with Luffy’s. Well, just a little. Oh well, he found it kind of cute. 

He sighed a bit in content, holding you a little tighter to his chest. Just everything about you was perfect. The way your eyes gazed at him, your kindness, your heart, your adorableness, just everything he could imagine. You were the perfect being, so selfless and innocent. 

You sneezed a little, causing him to frown. He needed to get you back to the ship before you get a cold. Well actually, he might prefer you getting sick. Then he could take care of you all he wanted.

Ah, he might be feeling a little selfish. 

Ahead, he spotted the Going Merry, and he smiled. He was almost at the docks. As you tensed under him, he couldn’t help but feel as though he was forgetting something. It was only until you buried your face into his shoulder that he remembered. 

Pushing Luffy’s straw hat a little off your head so that he could see your face, Sanji gave you the warmest smile he could muster. 

“Don’t worry. I got you. Hold onto me if you feel scared, okay?” Your eyes locked onto his own, seeing the genuine kindness and concern in his eyes. You timidly nodded your head. 

“Thank you,” you mumbled, yawning slightly. He reached over to tousle a bit of your hair, before moving the hat so that it covered a bit of your eyes. You could already smell the saltiness of the ocean, but being with Sanji made you feel safe, secure. It reminded you of the gentleness that Mihawk would show you whenever the two of you would go out. 

_“Do not worry. I will not let you fall in.”_ Those were the words he had spoken to you when you first sat in his boat with him. It was scary- terrifying even. But it was trust that eased you, the same one that helped you get through this situation with Sanji. 

Sanji’s eyes watched as the Going Merry began to move, and he noticed that Nami and Usopp were on the deck. 

“Nami- _san_!” he called out, holding onto you tightly. “I’m back!!” 

“Where’s Luffy and Zoro?” she yelled back, before realizing that there were marines chasing after him now. “Sanji- _kun_! Behind you!” Sanji looked back, before lifting the strawhat from your face, revealing you to the marines. If this worked before, it should work now.. 

Nami and Usopp watched in confusion as the marines’ movements slowed as they took in your appearance, looking very scared all of a sudden. 

“Don’t hurt her, you pirate scum!” a few of them called out, causing Sanji to get a little pissed. 

“WHY WOULD I HURT MY GODDESS?!” 

“YOU’RE A PIRATE, THAT’S WHY!” someone barked back at him. A few of the marines were sniffling, tears streaming down their faces before they started to run away. 

“I’M SORRY IT HAS TO BE THIS WAY!!” they cried, running through the rain in the opposite direction like something straight out of a shojo manga, except instead of a girl running, it was fully grown men with beards and shit running from a girl. “OUR RELATIONSHIP WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE!! SMOKER-SAN WOULD KILL US!!” 

What the hell was happening? This felt like a shitty knock off version of Romeo and Juliet. And holy hell, what did they mean by relationship?!

Nami, Usopp, and Sanji stared at you as you had a look of confusion on your face. Well, they probably meant like a friendship or something. All of a sudden a blast of wind engulfed the town, pushing debris and people into the air. Sanji widened his eyes as he tried to find a place to keep the two of you safe and not get thrown into the sea. 

Nami and Usopp held onto the Going Merry’s railing’s tightly, feeling themselves being lifted up by the intense winds. Though it had only been a few seconds, it had felt like an eternity holding onto dear life; but they had pulled through. 

“Alright alright alright!” Luffy yelled as he busted into the harbor, seeing Zoro, Sanji, and you together in one spot. Running to a staircase, Luffy stretched himself by his arms. “Gomu gomu no-” 

“-W-wait!” Sanji yelled, quickly pushing the strawhat over your face. 

“I have a bad feeling…” Zoro said. 

“W-What’s happening?” you asked worriedly. “Lu-Luffy?” 

“-ROCKET!” Luffy laughed as he launched himself at the three of you, flinging the group to the Merry. You were screaming as you realized you were in the air and that Sanji was no longer holding you. A sob almost left your mouth until you heard a familiar laughter by your ear, along with hands wrapping around your body. 

“Shishishishi! I got you!” Luffy said before he crashed into the sails, landing on the deck with you on top of him. “Sorry Y/n!” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“APOLOGISE TO US TOO YOU DIMWIT!” Sanji and Zoro growled. 

\---

“Hmm…” Dragon’s eyes were on the ship that was headed towards the Grand Line, the one his son owned, slightly paying attention to Smoker as his men prepared to sail the Grand Line as well. 

Dragon knew who you were. 

He had his men keep an eye on you when he learned of your existence through some of his spies within Marine Ford. It was a complete mystery to him on why you had mysteriously disappeared two years ago, showing up occasionally all around the world.

Alabasta, Dressrosa, Fish Man Island, Wano, Toto Land… it just seemed as though you were everywhere and not at the same time. 

There never seemed to be a pattern in the places you constantly appeared up in, and he had to search long and hard to find what exactly you were up to. And when he did, he was rather shell shocked because, well…

You weren’t up to anything actually. 

In fact, apparently you were staying on Kuraigana Island with the famed shichibukai, Dracule Hawk-eye Mihawk. The sudden switch between marine and pirate left him confused. And what made him even more confused (and yet very much more intrigued) is that you somehow had connections with the most notorious criminals in the entire world. 

He thought that the World Government would have put up a bounty on your head, but they didn’t. No, it was only decided that you were a threat when you had shown up on Baratie, the day that you truly showed yourself to the world. 

A starting bounty of 500 million was certainly too meager. 

If Dragon were to estimate, he would say that your true bounty should be well over one billion. That is, if the World Government knew the information he knew. They probably only knew that you were associated with the shichibukai. 

Ha. If only they knew the true destruction you held. 

His hands tightened slightly around your wanted poster as he smirked.

And little did the World Government know that you were associated with the revolutionary army as well. 

\---

“Alright, shall we hold a launching ceremony for setting sail on the great ocean?” Sanji asked with a smile. 

“Sure!” Luffy spoke, laughing. Sanji chuckled as he walked over to the barrel, his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. 

“What’s the barrel for?” you asked as Sanji stood before the barrel. His eyes flickered over to you, and he grinned. 

“You’ll see, Y/n- _hime_!” With a smile, he put his foot down on the barrel, and he spoke. “In order to find the All Blue!” You blinked in confusion as Luffy placed his foot down next. 

“In order to be the King of the Pirates! Oh yeah, and to make Y/n my queen!!”

Oh, so they were going to say their dreams. 

Luffy could only laugh as Nami and Sanji assaulted him in a barrage of punches. You let out a small giggle as you watched the ordeal play out. Zoro sighed, before placing his foot down on the barrel, his eyes meeting yours. 

“In order to become a master swordsman!” 

Then it was Nami’s turn. 

“In order to draw a world map!” 

And then Usopp’s. 

“I-In order… to become a brave warrior of the sea!” At Usopp’s dream, the five of them turned to stare you down. Luffy gave you his signature grin. 

“Well? What are you waiting for?” he asked you. “First mate?” he continued, and you placed your foot down on the barrel with a big smile. 

“I want to be powerful so that I can help people who need help!” you declared. Nami and Usopp gushed at how cute and kind you were as Sanji was talking about how his ‘goddess’ was such an angel. Zoro ruffled your hair affectionately, as Luffy stared you down intensely, before laughing. 

As always, your dream never really changed did it? 

“Alright! Let’s go! Grand Line!” Luffy yelled, swinging his foot up. 

Even though they had their original dreams, there was a new dream beginning to stir within their hearts. A dream, a promise to you. 

“YEAH!” the others called out, breaking the barrel. You blinked in confusion, stumbling a bit at the loss of the barrel, consequently falling on your butt. 

“Why’d you guys break the barrel?” The five of them stared at you for a moment, and then Zoro suddenly realized something. 

“Hold on.” Sifting through his pockets, he pulled out your wanted poster as Sanji helped you up. Shoving the poster in your face, there was a questioning look in Zoro’s eyes as he stared at you expectantly. 

“Why-” 

“Oh right, the poster!” Nami spoke. “Tell us the story behind the poster!” 

“That’s not what I was trying to say to you damn woman! Don’t interrupt me!” Staring at you, he pointed to the value you were currently worth. “Why are you worth so much?” You just shrugged your shoulders. 

“I don’t know. Maybe I just have a lot of friends.” 

_Ha. ‘Friends’._ Usopp and Nami thought. 

“W-Well what’s the story behind the photo?” Nami asked, leaning towards you after grabbing the poster from Zoro’s hands. “This doesn’t look like your average day.” 

“Actually, that _is_ my average day,” you spoke, before widening your eyes in regret. Oops. 

“W-What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it. Mystery person solved. And please don't mind the thing about Drake, the timeline in this fanfic is going to get a little wonky. XD Also, I added Familial Interests (thanks to a suggestion in the comments), so if you wanna check that out, go ahead.
> 
> Additionally, I decided that you'll get to find out how that photo came to next chapter, so look forward to that. Upcoming story extra is a little something with the marines. 
> 
> P.S. This was 26 pages this time. XD


	25. Story Extra Number Four - Girl Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Note: Y/n has special powers that change her appearance, because yes. Also, I honestly have no idea what was going on in this story extra, but whatevs.
> 
> Whatever happens in here, just pretend it’s all dandy and fine. Please don’t kill me. 
> 
> Story Extra Summary: Girl time with the fam. 
> 
> Features: Marine Family, AKA: Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, Smoker, Issho, Garp, Sengoku, and Drake. Oh and as always, you. (And also brief Katakuri and Brulee because I love these two) 

**Story Extra Number Four - Girl Time**

* * *

As a child, you grew up fast. And by ‘grew up fast’, it wasn’t just about your mentality. It was your body. By the time you were five years old, you were the size of a teenager and spoke in high vocabulary words. Though, the only reason why you were the size of a teenager was because of one of your powers you had recently discovered.

The power to manipulate atoms. 

You could speed up your aging process, slow it down, reverse it; in summary, it was just super fucking overpowered. Sometimes your grandparents didn’t even know how old you were anymore with how much you were using it. 

It was ‘for fun’, you had said, after scaring them half to death when they saw you as an old person. Thank god you were always able to revert back to a child (it was always a default whenever you grew tired), or else there was going to be some serious complications. 

One of them is taking care of an old person with the mentality of a five-year-old, but has the vocabulary of an adult. 

Drake, Smoker, Kuzan, and Borsalino may have found it amusing, but Akainu was a whole different story. He did _not_ find it amusing one bit. Especially because you kept running around Marineford looking like a teenager. Now that would have been fine, except you were wearing clothes a few sizes too small for you, and it looked…

Well one could say it looked off. But that instance only happened twice, and you had learned not to do it again. Speaking of Akainu-

Your eyes flickered up at Akainu curiously as he crouched down to your level. There was a softer expression on his face than his usual stoic outlook, but it was a barely noticeable change, especially to a child. 

Except this child was in the form of a teenager. 

“Saka?” you asked, tilting your head slightly. “What’s wrong? Where’s Grandpa and Grandad?” 

The man let out a sigh, giving you his hand out for you to take. You eyed it a bit before eagerly holding onto it, giggling a bit as you did so. There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes as he watched you tug him along, but it had disappeared as soon as it came. You forgot about your earlier confusion and was just leading him around Marine Ford. 

Usually Akainu would be pissy about this, especially when he has work that needs to be done, but not today. Today, he was in charge of babysitting you. 

Your hands gripped onto his own slightly as you walked. They were tiny in comparison to his own, so fragile, and he knew he could probably easily crush them with little effort. But he didn’t. You were far more useful when you were happy then when you were crying. 

At least, that was what he reassured himself with. 

Meanwhile, you were currently happy that you had someone to hang out with. Life on Marine Ford wasn’t all that exciting, save for a few choice friends you had. There weren’t any girls unless you counted Tsuru, but you were thinking of girls more of your own age. Sure, you could always make yourself into an older person (you did that for fun actually), but it gets old eventually. 

You believe that there was a girl called Hina, but you haven’t really seen her around before. 

You wanted to know what it was like having a female friend, but it was kind of difficult given your situation. Well, it didn’t really matter much anyways to you. You were content with the friends you already had. 

Picking up the pace when you saw the door that led outside, you pulled Akainu along as you ran. Akainu only had to walk a little faster as he had longer legs than you. Pushing the doors open, you laughed, a skip in your walk. 

Attempting to turn around, your foot tangled up in your legs, and you yelped, feeling yourself fall. With a sigh, the admiral yanked you by the arm, setting you back upright. 

“Fool. Pay attention to what you’re doing.” You gave him a bright smile, giving him a big hug. 

“Thanks Saka!! I love you!” He huffed at your exclamation, wrenching his hand out of your grasp. Your facial expressions didn’t change when you saw the irritated and slightly flushed cheeks on Akainu’s face as you ran in circles around him, giggling as you did so. 

Stupid five-year-old kid who has the appearance of a teenager, making him feel all tingly and warm inside. (Not in the weird way you weirdos) 

It took him a moment to realize that you had stopped running in circles around him. Looking down at the ground, he then saw that you were nowhere to be seen. A small bubble of panic began to develop inside of him, only to be relieved when he saw that you had run over to your two friends. 

Smoker and Drake their names were, if he recalled correctly. One was a kid they had picked up from Loguetown and gave them all plenty of attitude, the other was the son of a defected marine. Both he found were quite disgraceful and had nothing similar to you at all.

You were bright and cheerful, powerful and much more talented compared to the two, and yet somehow the three of you managed to click.

“I got a new tea set from Borsalino!” you spoke, eager to tell the two. “Let’s have a tea party today!” Akainu heard you shout it out loud happily, and he felt himself sigh. 

Why were you reminding him of Big Mom and her fucking Tea Parties? He was sure the two of you would get along swell. Actually, he hoped that you wouldn’t. That would be bad. 

“Sounds good,” Smoker said, eyes flickering up at Akainu warily. He never really liked the man, and he couldn’t understand why _you_ would. He threw you in the god-forsaken sea for fuck’s sake, and you still thought he was cool. You were traumatized for weeks. How could you have forgiven him so easily?

Drake, also having the same discomfort as Smoker, shifted a little closer to you in a protective manner. 

“That’s nice of Kizaru- _san_ ,” he said. “You seem to be really happy about it.” 

“I am!” you declared, fisting your hands together in an excited manner. “It’s _really_ pretty! It has flowers on it and a red bird! It’s like the one from the story grandpa reads to me every night!” 

Ah, right, the book that you were obsessed with that they hadn’t bothered to read. 

“I washed it so that it’s clean when we use it! So let’s have a tea party now!” The two of them sweat dropped a bit, seeing that they couldn’t exactly deny you the tea party you so desired. For a five year-old (nearing six), you were really independent. 

Well, maybe it had something to do with those… weird abilities of yours. 

“Sure.” At Drake’s affirmation, you eagerly turned to stare at Akainu with bright and sparkling eyes. The older man squinted a bit to clearly see your face, but he already knew what you were going to say. 

“No.” You pouted a bit, clinging to his leg. 

“Pwease~?” you drew the word out, giving him the biggest and saddest puppy dog eyes. He closed his eyes to prevent him from seeing the face that you were giving him. For a child, you were manipulative and smart as hell. 

“Saka- _chan_ ~” Sharply breathing in, he had a furious face that made Drake and Smoker think that you were in trouble. That is, only if they hadn’t seen this same thing happening over and over and over again, with you always winning in the end. 

It seems that even your charms worked on the intimidating man. 

“Fine. I’ll help you with your stupid tea party.”

Rest in case. 

“Yay! Outside tea party it is!” 

Nobody voted for it, but sure, go ahead. 

Smoker and Drake had to run to catch up with you as you ran to the forest near the training area that you had made because you were complaining that there weren't enough trees and life on Marineford. You had taken it upon yourself to make a nice place to relax, letting trees sprout out of the ground, and grass to grow. 

When Garp and Sengoku had been notified that a small forest had somehow grown within the base they had immediately known it was you and had panicked. They had scolded you a bit, before sighing that maybe the base _was_ a little bit dull. At least, that’s what everyone else had believed. 

They only let you keep the small forest because you made them feel guilty about removing it. 

Rushing into the forest, the plants immediately sprung up and grew tenfold, wrapping around your limbs and caressing it affectionately. Four leaf clovers popped out of the ground wherever you walked, and you let out a small laugh when one of the trees bent its branches so that it would cover you from the sun. 

The sight for Smoker and Drake could only be described as magical. It was something straight out of a fairytale. 

“Alright guys!” you shouted with your hands on your hips, and your two friends knew by now that you were talking to the plants. “We’re going to have a tea party! Can _you_ help me make a place for my friends and family to sit?” 

Eager to help, the trees cleared an area, letting their branches cover the area enough so that it would only let in the necessary sunlight needed to see. Happy with their cooperation, you clapped your hands together, and chairs and a circular table materialized into thin air, settling themselves down in the clearing. 

“Smokey! Drakey! Come on!” You waved to the two standing dumbly at the edge of the mini forest, effectively snapping the two out of their stupor. 

“She never ceases to amaze,” Smoker commented, stepping inside the forest. Drake followed suit, eyes watching the small little balls of lights hovering all around the area. He lifted a finger, touching one of them, only to have it bounce off his finger. 

“No she does not,” Drake agreed. If they didn’t know any better, they would have thought they were high. Moving trees, furniture poofing into existence, and balls of lights… things that would have seemed impossible. And yet it was. 

“Sit!” you exclaimed, pushing a chair behind Smoker, knocking his legs over so that he would fall in it. Picking the chair up over your head (along with him), you ran over to the table, dropping the chair down. 

Normal children should not have the strength of several admirals. Except you were anything _but_ normal.

“Your turn Drakey!” Drake didn’t react as you ran up to him with a chair in your hands, only plopping down, letting you do your thing. With a big smile, you lifted the chair up, running to place him down next to Smoker, who had an amused smile on his face. 

Satisfied, you turned your attention to the entrance of the ‘tree cave’. Cupping your hands together, you placed it around your mouth.

“SAKA!!!! HURRY UP!!” Running out of the cave, a sudden chill came over your two friends. They had a very unsettling feeling.

“I have a bad feeling,” Drake spoke. 

“Seconded.” They watched as you re-entered the tree cave (ima just call it that XD) with a big smile on your face. You ran up to the table, a very giddy expression on your face. 

“Okay okay, I got clothes for you!!” You pulled out a few articles of clothing out of thin air, showing them off to their faces. “We gotta dress up for a tea party! I got one too!” The two of them deadpanned as they saw the outfits you got them. 

“Make sure to change! It’ll be fun!! Saka- _chan_ and Ku- _chan_ and Borsalino- _chan_ and Grandpa and Grandad will be coming too!!” Shoving the clothes in their laps, you stared at them expectantly. 

Smoker and Drake exchanged glances, before looking down at the clothes in their laps. Fuck no, they were not going to wear dresses. Not again. 

You, sensing their distaste, added, “I’ll get you Germa 66 merch.” 

“I’ll do it,” Drake instantly said, causing you to grin. Turning to Smoker, you gave him your best puppy dog eyes. 

“Come on Smokey!! I’ll make it up to you!! We can sleep together and everything again!” A heat exploded on Smoker’s cheeks, and he had to look away. God, stop being so embarrassing. 

“Fine.” You pumped your fist into the air. 

“Yes! Tea party!!” You laughed. “Now wear them!” They watched you expectantly as you stood there with a giddy look on your face. You blinked once, before making an “o” face. “Oh, you want me to leave. Oops, I forgot.”

About to leave, you furrowed your brows. Wait. Why couldn’t you just do it yourself? Turning around, you snapped your fingers, and the dresses immediately replaced their Marine uniforms.

“Ha, I forgot I could do that.” Smoker and Drake looked like they wanted to curl up and die. Frilly dresses with corsets, along with hats; it was the Victorian era all over again. Not that they had a Victorian era to begin with. 

The most deeming thing was that such strong and promising marines like them was reduced to this. Not to mention that they never had a tea party wearing these dresses with the Admirals. 

Oh god, the Admirals. What the hell were they going to say? 

“Sooooooooo-” 

“ _Y/N_!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Akainu practically ran inside the forest cave, a furious expression. In his hands was your beloved (and new) tea set from Kizaru, but…

Smoker and Drake’s jaw practically dropped to the ground as they stared the proud admiral in the eyes. Sakazuki froze as he realized that the two were standing before him in frilly dresses. Smoker was in a white frilly gown while Drake was wearing an emerald green one. 

But that wasn’t the shocking part. Oh no, it was the fact that Akainu _himself_ was wearing a dress, along with a flower attached to his head. 

Oh god their eyes. This had to be worse than Impel Down. 

“What the fuck are you guys doing?” Akainu growled. 

“Tea party, what else?” Smoker grumbled, plopping his ass back in his chair. You grinned as you saw a few other approaching figures. 

“Gramps!! Grandad!! Borsalino- _chan_! Ku- _chan_!!” You waved eagerly at the four of them who looked so dead inside as they walked in. Well, three of them were dead, Borsalino was rocking his outfit like a boss (or Queen, I should say). 

“Y/n- _chwan,_ you surprised me when this _beautiful_ dress appeared on me,” Kizaru spoke, bending down to your shorter height. “Such a smart girl.” He ruffled your hair as you giggled. 

“YEAH!” you shouted at the top of your lungs. 

_Chaotic Y/n…_ Your family sweatdropped. 

“Oh yeah, wait wait, one more person!!” you spoke hurriedly, looking out of the forest cave. Spotting Fujitora, you waved to him. “FUJI!!!!!! OVER HERE!!!” The man walked towards you with a gentle smile on his face. 

“Haha, Y/n, always so energetic.” Fujitora bent down, enveloping you in a warm hug. “It’s a shame I can’t see the smile on your face. I’m sure it would be so bright. Now, you said something about a tea party earlier?” 

“Yep!! Everyone’s inside!!” Pushing him in, Akainu stared hard at Fujitora. They all did. 

“Why the hell is he not wearing one too?” Akainu grumbled, folding his arms angrily as he sat down in a chair. The others nodded in agreement. This was totally not fair. 

“Ladies, you all are beautiful-” 

Garp and Sengoku snorted as Akainu threw another fit of rage. 

“Please no lava on the floor. You’ll burn the forest.” Walking up to Akainu, you placed your hand gently on his arm. “And you’re very very, handsome, or uh, manly?” It came out as a question.

“Uh…” Waving it off, you smiled. “I just wanna pretend that you’re all girls. It’ll be fun! Uh, entertaining!” 

For someone who was supposed to be five (not that you looked the part), you had a very large vocabulary, that was for sure. They watched as you snapped your fingers, Issho’s clothing changing him into a suit. For some reason, you were in a suit as well.

“Why are you wearing a suit?” Drake asked. 

“I’m going to be a guy today,” you said as if it was the most obvious thing. “You guys are all… uh, men. I wanna see what it’s like to be one. I even practiced some lines!” You cleared your throat, furrowing your brows in concentration. With a snap of your fingers, your body changed so that you were a rather attractive male, with a muscular body build.

Garp’s jaw dropped to the floor and he grabbed Sengoku’s shoulders, shaking him violently back and forth. He looked like he wanted to scream, but no sound ever came out of his mouth. 

Walking up to Akainu, you gently took his larger hands within your own, caressing them softly as a smirk graced your lips. Everyone leaned in to get a better view, raising eyebrows at your actions. Fujitora, on the other hand, was merely listening to you. 

He had been the one you were practicing on, and snickered slightly, having a feeling of what the outcome of this would be. You were a pretty amusing character, that was for sure. 

“For the longest time, I’ve waited,” you spoke in a baritone voice, causing Garp to straight up die. Smoker’s mouth fell open in shock, the cigar slipping from his lips as it hit the forest floor. Kizaru raised his eyebrows, exchanging amused glances with Aokiji. 

“I’ve waited for you. And now that you’re here, mi amor-” 

Oh god, when did you learn spanish?!

“We can finally get married.” It was quiet as you grinned up at Akainu with those sparkling eyes of yours. When you gained no reaction, you pouted, turning towards Fujitora. “It’s not working Fuji…” you whined in your regular voice. 

Akainu suddenly snapped out of his daze as one of the small balls of light gently booped his nose. When it did, his face erupted in red from both rage and embarrassment. 

“YOU-YOU LITTLE-ARGH I DON’T EVEN HAVE THE WORDS-” Akainu stumbled over his words as he glared hard at the stupid five-year-old. “I’M TOO OLD FOR YOU!”

“Oh, looks like Y/n’s going to be the dominant one in a relationship if this keeps up,” Kizaru spoke, eyes watching you in amusement, snapping photos with his cameko he pulled out of nowhere. “Well done Y/n- _chan_. You really pulled my heartstrings.” You gave him a thumbs up as he took another photo. 

Garp was making choking noises as he heard what Kizaru said. “I’m so going to strangle you both!!!!” he growled. Akainu scrunched up his face. 

“I didn’t do anything. AND STOP TAKING MY GOD DAMN PHOTO!” Akainu yelled at Kizaru. 

“YOU FUCKING WATCH YOUR LANGAUGE AND STAY AWAY FROM MY GRANDCHILD!!! SHE MAY LOOK OLDER THAN SHE REALLY IS BUT SHE’S STILL FIVE!!! SHE STILL HAS A WHOLE LIFE TO LIVE!!” Garp was crying now. “My poor intelligent granddaughter is so stupid… WHY IS SHE GROWING UP SO FAST SHE’S SUPPOSED TO BE FIVE!” 

Sengoku shook his head at Garp. He couldn’t even find the words to describe what just happened. Or what is happening at the moment. 

Meanwhile, you and the ladies~ 

“Here you are, my lovely ladies,” you spoke in your deep voice, pouring tea in Kuzan’s cup. You didn’t have a problem with reaching their heights because the new form you took had a height of six foot two. 

That meant that you were taller than your two friends (they’re younger, that’s why). 

“Ah, thank you,” Kuzan spoke calmly, raising his pinky as he lifted it to his lips. “You have a nice… uh, voice.” You grinned at the complement.

“Thanks! I worked real hard to mold everything!” you said, pouring tea in Smoker’s cup now. “Oh yeah, and after the tea party we should go shopping! I want to try this ‘girls day out’ thing. I heard from Tsuru- _san_ that it’s a fun thing where you get to spend time with your friends!” 

“Oh really?” Smoker gruffly spoke. “And you want us to go out there in these… dresses?” You hummed to yourself in thought, not noticing your height beginning to shrink gradually before you were back in your normal child form. 

“Ah, I guess not. You guys wouldn’t like that would you?” Drake felt his heart break at the sad expression on your tiny face. Damn it. You were really tugging on his heart strings; on all of their heart strings. 

“If it makes you happy,” Drake started, causing you to look up at him. “I can wear a small bow. Does that make me girly enough?” You watched him with wide eyes, before leaping up into his arms. 

“Yup! You don’t have to be girly to go out with me though!!” Feeling your weight increasing, Drake stared down at you to realize that you were changing into a teenager version of yourself. And then he blushed because he caught a glimpse at your cleavage. 

Pushing you away, he buried his hands in his face. 

Damn it Y/n, stop changing forms without telling him!! He internally screamed. It wasn’t good for his heart! You were going to give him a heart attack one of these days!! Meanwhile, Smoker rolled his eyes at Drake’s flustered behavior. 

_What a simp._ He internally thought. Drake was _weak_. 

“You’ll come too, right Smokey?” 

“...yes.” And he was also very weak as well. How sad. 

“That means we’ll all go!!” you cheered, causing Garp to abruptly stop his bickering with Akainu. Your grandpa gave you a questioning stare, before directing it to the men surrounding you. 

“We’re going to go shopping apparently,” Kuzan summarized. “I bet someone just wants ice cream,” he teased a little, pinching your cheek. By the way your eyes were sparkling, they deduced that that _was_ in fact what you wanted.

Typical. They should have known. 

With a snap of your fingers, their dresses had disappeared, replaced by suits with ties of their respective colors. Kizaru’s mouth twitched when he noticed the hot pink bow at the back of Akainu’s head. They all did. 

_Y/n you sly little girl…_ They all thought as Akainu watched you expectantly, not knowing what was going on through their heads. 

“LET’S GO!!” you shouted excitedly, reminding Garp of his grandson. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought the two of you were related in some way. 

(Maybe you were his son’s secret love child)

In the future, when Garp looked back at these moments, he would really cherish these moments when everything was alright. When there was no piracy or mysteries lurking within each turn. When you were such an outgoing energetic person. 

But change is inevitable. 

\---

“Let’s go to the cafe first!!” you spoke, pointing at the said cafe in the distance. Without warning, you grabbed Akainu’s hand, and dashed down the streets as quick as you can go. Your friends sweatdropped a bit as each step you took caused flowers to spring up from the ground, startling bystanders. 

The people who lived on Marineford didn’t really react as much as they did the first time you ran down the streets. Man, that had caused fuck ton of mayhem. Now, whenever they see flowers popping out of the ground out of nowhere, it was an immediate indication that you were around. And like always, the people would greet you with happy smiles. 

And those smiles especially grew wide when they noticed the feared and stoic Admiral with a faint blush on his cheeks, as well as the hot pink bow in his head. No doubt it was the cause of you. 

Smoker let out a sigh as he watched your disappearing form in the distance, eye twitching slightly. Ah yes, you drag the whole group out to go shopping, and yet you leave them first thing when you see the cafe. 

And fuck, the person you decided to drag was noneother than _fucking_ Akainu.

Honestly, you had a terrible choice in friends. If you could even count your relationship with Akainu as a ‘friendship’ in the first place. He was sure that it was more on the lines of mentor and student (though that line was very blurred), but he could be wrong. 

Drake, on the other hand, was very very displeased with the outcome of this. Seriously, how could you leave your best friends (yes, he counted Smoker, because Smoker was a good guy) alone for that lava bastard? 

“Ha, jealous aren’t ya?” Garp laughed. “Well you aren’t getting my granddaughter! OVER MY DEAD BODY!” Sengoku had to hold Garp back from pouncing on the two marines. 

“Garp, control yourself,” Sengoku gently scolded with a sigh. 

“OVER MY DEAD BODY, YA HEAR?” The two of them nodded quickly, attempting to avoid the wrath of the angry grandparent, silently thanking Sengoku for saving their lives. Kuzan, meanwhile, was raising a brow at the group, and at the fact that one of their members was missing. 

“Where’s Borsalino?” he spoke, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his new suit. The question caused Garp to stop for a moment, looking around. It seemed like he now realized that Borsalino had, too, disappeared. 

Damn it, he probably ran after you and Akainu. Everyone knows how much that man was a hoe for your pictures. Garp should know because he buys pictures from that man himself (and sometimes he steals them). 

“DAMN THAT BASTARD! HE BETTER GET ME SOME GOOD PHOTOS OF MY GRANDDAUGHTER OR I WON’T FORGIVE HIM!!” 

_Forgive him for what?_ Kuzan, Smoker, Sengoku, and Drake thought as they sweat dropped. 

\---

“Kizaru, check this out!” you spoke in a hushed voice, pointing at your cheek. He raised a questioning brow as he stared at your cheek. 

“Yes Y/n _-chan_ , I see your cheek. It’s very cute.” You pouted, stuffing another doughnut in your mouth. Yes, another. You’ve been sitting in the cafe for only a couple of minutes, but it seemed like the cafe owners had sensed your presence and had already prepared a few snacks for you. 

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” you said after swallowing the doughnut. “Ah, doughnuts are the best!!” You sighed in content. “If only I had someone who would actually eat them with me…” 

Somewhere in To To Land a certain Mochi man sneezed. 

“Are you sick Onii- _chan_?” Brulee asked with a raised eyebrow. Katakuri shook his head, waving Brulee off as he repositioned himself on the couch. 

“Of course not, Brulee.” Exactly. How could he- someone who should be perfect, is seen as perfect -get sick? That would be utterly ridiculous. He would be a laughing stock to his family. 

“Ah, of course not. I bet someone is just talking about how amazing you are,” Brulee teased, causing Katakuri to sigh, a small smile on his lips. “Oh, or maybe it’s your true love speaking to you!” 

“You're being too imaginative. That would be impossible.” 

Brulee laughed, waving a hand. “Ah, right because you don’t want to get married. But honestly Onii- _chan_ , you should find someone you love before it’s too late. You’ll regret it one day. Maybe you’ll even find someone who loves doughnuts as much as you!” 

Katakuri hummed. “Perhaps.” 

“Anyways! That’s not what I meant Borsalino- _chan_!!” you huffed. “Look! Don’t you see it! I got my first pimple!” Kizaru gave you an amused look, occasionally glancing over at Akainu who was looking rather out of place, standing in line at the cafe. 

“A pimple?” he echoed, leaning forwards to inspect your cheek. “Oooh, you mean this right here?” He slightly prodded at the bump, an amused smile on his face. “Why, Y/n- _chan_ , that’s just a mosquito bite.” 

You blinked once. Then twice. 

“Oooooooh.” There was a disappointed look on your face. “I thought I was getting older. I read it in a book that people get pimples when they get older. I wanna get older so I can go on adventures with you and everyone!” 

Borsalino hummed, swiping a doughnut off your plate. Stuffing it in his mouth, he swallowed, savoring the taste, before eyeing you with amusement.

“Don’t you have to not be afraid of the sea first?” You slapped both of your hands on your cheeks. 

“I’m working on that!! I’ll make sure I can do it!! I can take baths now! I’ll be able to step inside the sea in no time!” There was a determined sparkle in your eyes, and Borsalino couldn’t help but chuckle and tease you a little bit. 

You being far more intelligent than regular children made it more fun for him to tease. You understood a lot more, and that was sometimes very helpful. Sometimes. 

“Ah yes, baths. So accomplished~” You nudged him, playfully. 

“Hey!” Ruffling your hair affectionately, Borsalino pulled out his cameko. You, getting the memo, grabbed a doughnut and stuffed it in your mouth. Holding up a peace sign, you grinned. “CHEWSE!” you said, muffled slightly by the doughnut.

“Saka- _chan_ ~” Borsalion cooed, positioning the cameko so that it would capture him as well. The said man began to turn around, before realizing that Borsalino was holding a camera. 

“You-” 

**Click.**

The bright light momentarily blinded him, before his face became the epitome of a volcano. He was angry. He was very angry. But before he could yell some profanities, the door to the cafe slammed open, revealing Garp. 

“Sakazuki, I swear you try to say one more fucking curse word in front of my grand daughter I will end you.” You visibly brightened up when you spotted Drake and Smoker. 

“Smokey!! Drakey!! Oh, and Ku- _chan_!! Hello!! Where did you disappear to?” Oh my god, _you_ were the one who disappeared on them! Ah, but they didn’t have the heart to scold you when they saw the happy expression on your face. 

Kuzan sighed, handing you-

“ICE CREAM!” you screamed, freaking out. All your favorite flavors stacked high open each other and defying gravity was right before your eyes. “YOU’RE THE BEST!! I LOVE YOU!!” you cried out, running up to hug him.

Borsalino snapped another photo. 

“A-Ah…” Kuzan said, sweat dropping a little at the affection. Patting your back awkwardly, he handed you the cone. “I love you too?” 

“Why did that come out as a question, huh Kuzan?” Garp spoke, eyes narrowing at Kuzan. “You have to be more assertive! Like this- I LOVE YOU MY GRANDDAUGHTER!!” 

“-And this one is my favorite flavor! I like this one the best!” Smoker, Drake, and Borsalino nodded along intently with what you had to say, consequently ignoring Garp. 

“GRAND DAUGHTER WHY?????” Sengoku sweat dropped. 

Wow. Just wow. That was just so cold, whether you did it intentionally or not.

“Allow me to demonstrate,” Fujitora said, popping out of nowhere.

“Wait, where did you come from-” 

“Y/n, I love you more than the plants yearn for the sun.” You paused, before waving at Fujitora, careful not to drop your ice cream. Oh god, it looked like you already devoured half of it somehow. That thing was like a couple feet tall. Where was all that sugar and fat going? 

“I love you too, Fuji!” Garp was now curled up in a corner and bawling on the floor. 

“There there, I’m sure she didn’t mean it,” Sengoku said, patting Garp on the shoulder awkwardly. “She just probably didn’t hear you.” 

Probably.


End file.
